Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.5 - Chapter 3

The Archduke Conference’s Starbinding

“Is that everything?” I asked Hartmut, who was directing the gray priests as they loaded my Pandabus with luggage.

“Yes,” he replied with a nod, brimming with confidence. “The ceremonial robes, the minor goods, the bible... Everything.”

Next, I turned to my temple attendants. “Fran, Monika, Zahm—I entrust the temple to you in my absence. Please oversee the education of the new blue priests.”

“Understood. We shall await your return.”

“Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne.”

“Thank you. Have all the preparations been made?”

It had been quite a while since I was last in the castle, but I needed to make sure everything was ready for the Archduke Conference before I reveled in being back. The adults accompanying me seemed on edge, maybe because I was having to perform the Starbind Ceremony and assist the royal family despite being underage.

“We have with us our attire and the goods we are bringing to the conference,” I said. “Please do check everything. This box marked ‘ceremonial outfits’ contains the blue robes, though I don’t know whose are whose.”

This time, we weren’t just bringing my clothes; we had ceremonial robes for my guard knights as well. Ottilie and Lieseleta started checking through our luggage from the temple.

“These outfits are acceptable, though we will need to prepare extra ink and plant paper...”

“Allow me,” Clarissa interjected, beaming at this opportunity to act as my retainer. “I assume this should suffice.” She showed us a wooden box containing an entire day’s worth of scholarly equipment. There was more than enough for us to complete our translation work in the library’s basement.

“Hartmut,” I said, “you intend to join the negotiations as a scholar once the Starbind Ceremony is over, don’t you? Do you have all that you’ll require?”

“I will only be attending to obtain information and increase the head count, but rest assured—I am prepared enough that I shan’t tarnish your good name.”

Because of the purge, the archducal couple’s retinue wasn’t of an appropriate size for an eighth-ranked duchy. New retainers were being trained as we spoke, but they wouldn’t be ready in time for the conference, which was why Hartmut had agreed to participate after finishing his duties as the High Priest.

“I’m impressed that you managed to prepare while staying on top of your High Priest work,” I remarked. “As always, Hartmut, your excellence surprises me.”

“I am honored. Although, in this case... it was only feasible because of Clarissa and my father.” He glanced to his side, where his fiancée was standing with an expression that practically screamed, “I worked super hard.” I would probably need to consult Hartmut’s parents on how much she was exhausting them, but at least she was doing her best.

“The aub complimented your efforts as well, Clarissa. You and Hartmut are my only scholars participating in the Archduke Conference. I am eager to see your results.”

“Yes, my lady! You can count on us.”

Only adults could attend the Archduke Conference. From my retinue, that meant Ottilie, Lieseleta, Hartmut, Clarissa, Cornelius, Leonore, Damuel, and Angelica. Two attendants, two scholars, and four knights.

After our luggage was checked, I addressed the underage squad. “Philine, Roderick, visit the temple as often as you can. I want you to help Fran and the others take care of the blue priests, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the orphanage.” Their presence as nobles would also deter the adult blue priests from pulling any tricks.

“We’ve been so busy in the High Priest’s chambers now that Hartmut is training Melchior’s retainers,” Roderick said. “At least now we can relax a bit and work on our transcriptions.”

Poor, naive Roderick... If he thought that Hartmut’s absence was going to secure him some time off, then he was in for a very unpleasant surprise. A long to-do list was surely awaiting him in the High Priest’s chambers.

“Matthias, Laurenz,” I continued, “please go to the temple on days when you don’t have training. I would like you to assist Philine and Roderick, and check on how Nikolaus and the others are doing with their own training.”

“Days we don’t have training?” Laurenz repeated with a pained smile. “Oh, what a dream that would be. Lord Bonifatius is working us harder and with even more vigor now that he has so many divine protections.”

Matthias looked at the sword on his hip. “We have also been learning how to deal with mana-immune silver cloth. The knights have been ordered to train with normal, non-schtappe weapons.”

The discovery of the silver cloth had made us all the more convinced that the former Giebe Gerlach had survived. As his son, Matthias must have been dealing with a storm of conflicting emotions. His brow was drawn into a grave frown.

“We’ll need them when it counts, but they’re heavy and just get in the way most of the time,” Laurenz added. “Am I right, Matthias?” He gave his friend a slap on the back, making him look up with a start and adopt a more neutral expression.

“We have only ever used feystone armor and schtappe-made weapons, which have almost no weight at all, so this silver cloth mystery is very troublesome,” Matthias opined. “I intend to train to get better at using metal weaponry.”

“Judithe,” I said, “I want you to stay in the castle. I’ve received word that Brunhilde is visiting with Bertilde for her training, but I dare not leave Gretia to hold the fort alone. Some nobles are none too pleased with the name-sworn of the former Veronica faction...”

Ottilie and Lieseleta were both accompanying me to the Archduke Conference, leaving Gretia alone in the castle. I couldn’t imagine that asking for help from Matthias or Laurenz, her fellow name-sworn, would do the situation much good, plus there was Gretia’s discomfort around men to take into consideration. A female knight like Judithe was the perfect match.

“Understood,” she replied, accepting the job with a bright smile. “You can count on me.”

“There won’t be any problems while I’m in the northern building, but I thank you for your concern,” Gretia assured me, lowering her gaze.

“Very well. But if staying in the castle ever becomes too much, you can go to the temple with Judithe,” I said. Losing my liaison in the castle wouldn’t be ideal, but the last thing I wanted was for her to suffer.

After a good night’s rest, it was already time for us to go. The servants and chefs were the first to leave. Hugo and Rosina were among them, but Ella wasn’t even in the castle; she was pregnant and on maternity leave. The luggage was then sent box by box, while the scholars and retainers teleported over. I was to leave right before the archducal couple and would be sandwiched between Cornelius and Leonore.

“Be careful, Sister.”

“I wanted to see your ceremony too...”

After speaking with Charlotte and Melchior, who had come to see me off, I turned my attention to Wilfried. Sylvester had evidently been correct in saying that we were still in denial; aside from some perfunctory farewells exchanged over dinner last night, we hadn’t spoken at all.

I can’t leave things at that. It wouldn’t be right.

“Wilfried,” I said, smiling for the sake of appearances, “my ordonnanzes won’t be able to reach you from the Royal Academy, so I’m afraid you’ll need to go without my usual correspondence. Unless... shall we exchange letters?”

He blanched. “I’m just glad you’ll be gone for a while. I can finally be free from your ordonnanzes.”

“Oh, but I sent those out of concern for you.”

“You hound me about my work and meals every single day, from sunrise to sunset. It’s like you’re urging me to work more or something!”

As per Sylvester’s suggestion, I was trying to show Wilfried as much concern as I would normally have shown Ferdinand. This included sending him daily ordonnanzes, which he evidently didn’t appreciate. I was contemplating whether it was even worth continuing the endeavor when I saw him get jabbed in the side by one of his retainers. At once, Wilfried cast aside his upset frown and adopted a smile.

“I’m really worried about you needing to help the royal family in the underground archive, but do your best,” he said. “Remember that you’re representing all of Ehrenfest.”

“And you continue to supply the foundational magics,” I replied. “Grandfather and the aub obtained many divine protections as a result of their dedicated prayer. If you let your guard down, Charlotte and Melchior may surpass you.”

Wilfried glanced over at Charlotte and Melchior, then... Nothing. I’d expected him to declare that he’d never lose or that he wouldn’t let his younger siblings beat him, but he didn’t say anything at all; he just stood there with a cynical smile. As I stepped onto the teleporter, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.

“Lady Rozemyne, please relax until the rooms are ready.”

After arriving in the teleportation hall, which looked more or less the same as it did during the school term, I moved to the common room and waited while my attendants carried out the usual preparations. Rather than being filled with chattering students, it was awash with scholars and attendants whom I’d only ever seen during the feast where all nobles gathered. I was more familiar with the knights, at least—as was to be expected, since I saw them during trombe hunts, when blessing them to fight the Lord of Winter, and on other such occasions.

And, of course, the knights, scholars, and attendants gathered in the common room were all adults.

I must be the only shorty in the room... It makes me feel as though I don’t belong here—which is entirely true, to be honest.

“Lady Rozemyne. Good day.”

Elvira approached me in full scholar attire, and we started to discuss our printing trade with other duchies. I sipped the tea that Norbert had poured for me all the while, and it wasn’t long before some very curious scholars in the business were gathered around us.

“Lady Rozemyne, these are the books the aub has permitted us to sell. As I understand it, Muriella has reported this to you already, but have those in the lower city been informed?”

“Indeed,” I said, “they have confirmed as much already. Furthermore, the Merchant’s Guild reported that the training of those from Groschel is progressing smoothly and they have more than enough product ready.”

Elvira nodded and then flashed a smile, an unmistakable glint in her dark eyes. “How goes the third volume of The Story of Fernestine?”

“As per the order, the Rozemyne Workshop and the workshops in Groschel are on pace to have it printed in time for summer. I am unsure how much progress those in Groschel have currently made, but we have already completed our first copies in the Rozemyne Workshop. I have brought them to be presented during the Archduke Conference and will have them sent to your room later.”

“Oh my! I thank you ever so much.”

Just as Elvira gave me a giddy smile, the archducal couple entered the common room. Sylvester looked the same as always. As for Florencia, she looked much better than she had during the Interduchy Tournament; her morning sickness had presumably improved. Her belly was a little more prominent than usual, but not enough that anyone would notice she was pregnant at a glance.

Standing among their retainers were Rihyarda and Karstedt. I’d seen them last night during dinner, but it was always nice to know that they were doing well.

“Rozemyne, the Starbind Ceremony is on the first day,” Sylvester told me. “Don’t forget to prepare. As soon as breakfast and such is over, you’ll meet with the Sovereign temple in the auditorium where the ritual is being held. I know that working for the royal family won’t be easy, but I need you to see this through.”

“Right.”

After that, Sylvester and Florencia continued to their rooms. Their presence had caused the scholars to pause their work—I supposed that they hadn’t wanted to rush around in the presence of the archducal couple—but now they were busily resuming their preparations for tomorrow. The knights, in contrast, seemed a little bored. That went for my own knights as well; their only duty right now was to stand around the common room.

“Do the knights not have anything to do today?” I asked Cornelius.

“We held our meetings before we came here and won’t have much on our plates until the tea parties and other such gatherings have been scheduled,” he replied, also looking over the listless knights. There were far too many of them here in the common room, even for an important job like guarding the archducal family.

“If there aren’t any rules forbidding adults from using the Royal Academy’s gathering spot, perhaps you could take the knights there,” I said. “After getting the archduke’s permission, of course.”

“To hunt?” Angelica asked, immediately forcing her way into our conversation. Her face had lit up at the very idea. “I’ve heard that the feybeasts there have gotten much stronger due to your blessings, Lady Rozemyne. I really want to go.”

The other knights really must have been bored; I noticed that most of them were listening in as well.

“I cannot go myself, since I need to prepare for the Starbind Ceremony, but I will at least be able to regenerate the spot on the final day of the conference. In other words, gather to your heart’s content. I would also ask that you bring some of what you collect back to me; I used up a lot of my materials while making everyone’s charms and am looking to replenish my supply. I can offer financial compensation.”

Angelica started to fidget, as did Damuel. Cornelius was still, but I could sense that he was raring to go; he must have wanted to get in on the action as well.

In response to their excitement, Leonore giggled. “I will stay to guard the room so that the rest of you can hunt.”

“Er, are you sure?” Cornelius asked. “You’d need to wait here on your own.”

“Yes, but I am sure you will gather for me the most wondrous feystone,” Leonore chirped with a beaming smile, seeming more lovey-dovey than I’d ever seen her before.

It was then that Lieseleta entered the common room to inform me that my room was ready. As I went there with Leonore, I noticed Elvira out of the corner of my eye; she was eagerly writing something down, looking as though she had just happened upon an excellent idea for a story.

Mother, please! Focus on the Archduke Conference!

“It was incredible, Lady Rozemyne!” Angelica exclaimed during dinner. “There were so many strong feybeasts. I’ve got more feystones than I can count!”

I really hoped she wasn’t speaking literally.

“I’ve never seen the gathering spot so abundant,” Damuel added. “The materials are so much better than when I was a student. I can’t help but feel jealous.”

Cornelius mentioned that it was even more enriched than when he was a student.

Oh yeah... That whole incident when I pumped my overflowing mana into the gathering spot happened after his graduation.

“I want to hunt every single day we’re here,” Angelica proclaimed.

“That won’t be possible, I’m afraid,” Leonore interjected. “You will need to guard Lady Rozemyne for the entire duration of the Archduke Conference. I shall accompany her to the underground archive. You must protect her in her room.” Her voice was cold and commanding.

“Yes, I know...” Angelica murmured, crestfallen. Only female knights could guard me in my room, and it would have been too unreasonable to ask Leonore when she was already due to guard me in the archive.

“My apologies, Leonore,” I said.

“Think nothing of it,” she replied with a smile. “Going with you to the archive is nothing compared to the unceasing training we’re put through at home.”

Beside her, Clarissa and Hartmut, the busiest of our attending scholars, were wearily having something to eat. “A gathering spot, blessed by Lady Rozemyne herself...?” Clarissa muttered. “I wish I could have seen it.”

“We can go after the Starbind Ceremony,” Hartmut tried to reassure her. “For now, you must pour your all into our negotiations with Dunkelfelger.”

“You can count on me.”

They were working hard—as were all of my retainers, in fact. I wanted to prepare some kind of reward for them, but I wasn’t sure what to choose.

The Italian restaurant is going to be much busier from this point on, and my retinue is so large now that I wouldn’t be able to bring everybody at once. Maybe something more material would do...

Alcohol was being served with dinner, which momentarily surprised me—it never made an appearance during the school term, for obvious reasons. The usual chatter had also been replaced with more serious discussions, perhaps because the archducal couple was in attendance. The scholars and attendants already had arrangements for tea parties and other such gatherings, and they were all deliberating who would meet with which duchy, and what meals and sweets they would need to prepare for them. It reminded me of the pregame meetings for the Interduchy Tournament and made me realize something—the tournament really was the preliminary stage of the Archduke Conference.

As I continued to eat, my eyes wandered to those who had been sixth-years when I first enrolled at the Royal Academy. They were involving themselves in the conversations and suggesting ideas. Then, I returned to my room. Ottilie helped me to bathe and informed me that she had delivered the new Fernestine volume to Elvira, who had apparently been “positively overjoyed.”

“Lady Hannelore of Dunkelfelger must be equally as restless; she said it was cruel of the author to end the previous book at the height of the drama,” I noted. It wasn’t hard to imagine her trembling in disbelief after finishing the second volume and realizing that the story was anything but over. “Hopefully our time together in the underground archive will give me a chance to let her borrow the new one...”

“You might only be going there by royal decree, but I am glad that you have found personal value in the task as well,” Ottilie said.

My involvement in the upcoming Starbind Ceremony and my work in the underground archive were both the result of a royal decree. Under normal circumstances, someone as young as I wouldn’t be attending the conference at all. Ottilie seemed to be fairly worried that I might collapse from stress.

“I must admit, Ottilie... it feels strange being here with you instead of with Rihyarda.”

“Indeed. What are your plans for this winter? As you know, there are family matters I must attend to. Will you select Lieseleta to accompany you? My hands won’t be as tied once Hartmut, like my older boys, is married and settled, but until then...”

Ottilie had a husband and one son who had yet to fully leave the nest. She also had the important duty of accompanying Clarissa on her commute to the castle. She had been able to leave home for the Archduke Conference, since everyone in her family was participating, but a long-term work trip simply wouldn’t be viable for her.

“Brunhilde is entering her sixth year at the Royal Academy next term, so yes, I think Lieseleta will do as my adult attendant. The problem is what comes next. She will doubtless start to feel the strain when Bertilde is my only remaining archnoble attendant.” It would be cruel of me to entrust business with the royal family and top-ranking duchies to second-year Bertilde, but there were some things that Lieseleta simply wouldn’t be able to do as a mednoble. “I suppose I will need to think about taking another adult archattendant... though that will not be easy.”

The purge had already done enough to diminish the noble population, and the Leisegang nobles were assembling to serve as Brunhilde’s retainers when she became the aub’s second wife. It wouldn’t be easy for me to find myself an adult archattendant.

Perhaps I should discuss this with my mothers...

The next day, after breakfast, I cleansed myself with warm water and then changed into my ceremonial High Bishop robes. Ottilie and Lieseleta were helping me put on my last few accessories when Leonore and Angelica came in wearing their ceremonial blue shrine maiden attire.

Holy cow. They’re way too beautiful. They might be protecting me, but who’s going to protect them?!

“Aah, how wonderful...” Clarissa sighed. “It pains me that I won’t be able to stand onstage with you, but I shall burn the sight of your ceremony into my memory from the audience!”

After receiving that fervent show of support, I made my way downstairs. Hartmut, Cornelius, and Damuel were waiting for me at the bottom, all dressed in ceremonial blue priest robes. They had rejuvenation potions and feystones hanging from their belts, while Angelica had Stenluke on top of all that. Hartmut was cradling the bible.

“Now then,” I said, turning to Sylvester, “shall we go?”

“Yeah. Remember not to be rude to the royal family.”

I nodded, and we started toward the auditorium. We exited the dormitory and made our way down the halls of the Royal Academy’s central building. I was so used to the scenery outside the windows being completely white—ivory buildings blanketed in pale snow—that the sight of so much greenery caught me entirely by surprise. Vibrant flowers dotted the landscape, bathed in warm-looking sunlight and swaying in the gentle breeze.

“Springtime at the Royal Academy is a feast for the eyes,” I said. “I’m so used to seeing an expanse of white.”

“This is my first time seeing it as well,” Leonore said from beside me. “It certainly is beautiful.”

We soon arrived at the auditorium, which had been transformed as it would normally be for the graduation ceremony. At the far end of the room, by the shrine, I could see the Sovereign priests preparing for the ritual.

“Lady Rozemyne,” came a voice. I turned to see a man approaching me—a man whom I recognized as the Sovereign High Priest. He had attended the ternisbefallen inquiry during my second year, and I could still picture the scary look that had entered his eyes when I made Flutrane’s staff. I couldn’t remember his name, though.

“I, Immanuel, will serve as your High Priest for today. I consider it a blessing to behold with mine own eyes the famed Saint of Ehrenfest as she performs a religious ceremony.”

Oh, right. Immanuel. How could I forget?

His gray eyes glinted with the same feverish light as before and seemed unusually... unfocused. I took an instinctive step back and grabbed the nearest sleeve.

“Lady Rozemyne?”

I gazed up expecting to see Ferdinand, only to realize that I was clinging to Hartmut instead. “Uh... my mistake.” I let go of his sleeve, then returned my focus to Immanuel and said, “I see the shrine has been prepared.”

“We will soon be ready for the ceremony—though it would appear that you have yet to finish your own preparations, Lady Rozemyne. You do not have the crown of Light or the cape of Darkness.”

I cocked my head at him, unsure what he meant. There were already statues of the Goddess of Light and God of Darkness on the shrine, the former with its crown and the latter with its cape.

“The shrine appears to have them already.”

“I refer not to the shrine but to your own person.”

“The High Bishop does not wear divine instruments during Ehrenfest’s Starbind Ceremonies.” In fact, they didn’t wear divine instruments during any ceremonies or rituals. At most, they held the chalice for Spring Prayer.

“How lamentable...” Immanuel said with a heavy sigh, then shook his head. “Lady Eglantine assured us that Ehrenfest had preserved its ancient religious customs, but how can that be when you know not of such basic arrangements? Does your bible not detail the steps of this ceremony?”

“At the very least, it does not mention High Bishops needing to wear divine instruments. I also spoke with Aub Ehrenfest about the Royal Academy’s past Starbind Ceremonies, and it would seem that there is no precedent for what you are suggesting.” Sylvester surely would have said something if the High Bishop had worn such bizarre attire during Prince Anastasius and Eglantine’s Starbinding.

“We obtained this knowledge from an ancient text we discovered during the summer, which detailed the ceremony in question. We believed that such knowledge would already be in your bible, which is so much more detailed than our own. Perhaps it resides in a section you cannot read.”

Oh, right. We made it seem as though I couldn’t read the whole thing.

Hartmut then entered the conversation. “If the High Bishop did not wear any divine instruments last year, then I see no reason for us to do things differently.”

“Oh?” Immanuel replied, then raised an eyebrow at him. “Listen well. As I am sure you know, Lady Detlinde activated a magic circle during her coming-of-age ceremony. Though none believe our claims that its purpose was to choose the next Zent, the fact remains that it appeared. Our texts in the Sovereign temple do not lie.”

From there, he launched into a passionate rant about the Sovereign temple’s traditions, his gray eyes swirling all the while. “So that we might embrace the legitimate Zent with the proper ritual, we have begun investigating ceremonies at length. That is why we listened to King Trauerqual’s request and decreed that the Saint of Ehrenfest would serve as today’s High Bishop—for she has the power to perform proper rituals. If we were mistaken, then we have made a fundamental error from the very beginning!”

Mm, sounds like some stuff went down between the royal family and the Sovereign temple.

The royal family wanted me to bless the ceremony so that Prince Sigiswald would be recognized as the next king. The Sovereign temple wanted to revive old rituals in service of a legitimate Zent but lacked the mana that was necessary. It just so happened that their goals both required me to perform today’s ceremony as the High Bishop.

“First, allow me to see this text you have found,” I said.

“That will not do. If you do not have the divine instruments, then seeing them will change nothing. The Sovereign High Bishop will suffice for a standard ceremony.”

Hartmut’s eyebrow twitched; not only was Immanuel trying to cast me aside now that I wouldn’t meet his demands, but he was also refusing to show me the text he was so determined to follow. I took a step forward before he could respond.

“Immanuel,” I said with a smile, while raising a hand slightly to hold Hartmut back. “I now understand the extent of your passion for religious ceremonies. If the Sovereign temple believes I should wear the crown of Light and the cape of Darkness, then wear them I shall.”

“Is that so?” Immanuel asked, his tone mocking. “But will you be able to make it to Ehrenfest’s temple and back in time for the ceremony?”

I shook my head and made my schtappe appear in my right hand. “No need. I can simply create them myself. Finsumhang.” In the blink of an eye, the cape of Darkness appeared. I threw it over my shoulders and fastened its golden brooch at my neck; then it automatically adjusted its length to fit me perfectly.

Immanuel gawked at me while I produced a second schtappe, cast beleuchkrone, and put on the golden crown it produced.

“This will suffice, I assume? Now, show me this text. I will need to see it before I can perform this ancient ceremony of yours.”

At once, Immanuel guided me to the High Bishop’s waiting spot near the shrine, then pridefully showed me the text in question. It was inscribed on an ivory slate, which looked almost identical to the ones from the underground archive.

“This is it,” he said. “I am unsure whether the text is legible to you, but...”

“It is.” I took the slate and dismissed the divine instruments; there was no need to maintain them now that I had the document.

“The divine instruments!” Immanuel exclaimed.

“It would be a waste of mana to maintain them unnecessarily. If, as you said, this slate mentions that they are required, then I will wear them.”

I scanned the text on the white tablet. An observer might have assumed that I was slacking off—after all, I was just standing here and reading while everyone around me was preparing for the ceremony—but there wouldn’t even be a ceremony unless I, the High Bishop, knew how to perform it. It was my duty to read.

“Eheheh. Eheheheh...”

Ancient language could be categorized into several distinct periods, and this text was written in a style that I immediately recognized; someone had presumably transcribed it from the underground archive. At the very least, it was written the same as the other ritual descriptions we had seen there.

Still, interesting to know that there are people in the Sovereign temple who can read this...

From what I remembered, there wasn’t anyone in the royal family who could understand ancient language. They really would have benefited from a cooperative relationship with the Sovereign temple, but alas... Perhaps the Sovereign temple had rebuffed the royal family for its false Zent, or the royal family hadn’t expected anyone from the Sovereign temple to be able to read the old texts. Maybe there hadn’t been any communication between them at all.

In any case, the Sovereign temple would probably refuse to help in the slightest, even though the king is killing himself to sustain the country.

Putting all of that aside, as Immanuel had said, this text was certainly about the Starbind Ceremony. The simple description was identical to the one I knew, with the exception of the crown of Light and the cape of Darkness. The prayer was the same as well—and, since a single tablet could only hold so much text, it didn’t take me long to finish reading it.

This is strange, though. In Ehrenfest, the Starbind Ceremony is a nighttime ritual.

According to the bible, the God of Darkness had wanted to bless the marriage of the God of Life and the Goddess of Earth. Their union had taken place at night to make the process easier for him. Ehrenfest had maintained that tradition, but the Archduke Conference’s Starbind Ceremony was to take place at third bell. Personally, I thought it was a bad idea to hold a ceremony for the royal family during the day. The tablet didn’t say anything about when it should take place, though, so my questions went unanswered.

“Is something the matter, Lady Rozemyne?” Leonore asked, leaning over.

I shook my head. “It would seem that the prayers and steps are identical, apart from the inclusion of the divine instruments.” Then I returned the slate to Immanuel.

Well, whatever. Following these steps will satisfy the Sovereign temple, and the most I need to do for the royal family is bless Prince Sigiswald.

Although it seemed peculiar to be holding the ceremony in broad daylight, rescheduling it wasn’t an option; the archdukes of every duchy had already arrived at the Royal Academy. Even broaching the subject would be a waste of time.

“For now,” I said, “I shall inform the royal family.”

Satisfied with what I’d seen on the slate, I sent an ordonnanz to Anastasius, telling him that the Sovereign temple was trying to revive an ancient ritual and that they had asked me to assist them. “The text appears to be legitimate,” I said. “Do you think I should carry out their request? They have told me that, if we perform the usual ritual, they will get the Sovereign High Bishop to perform in my stead.”

The royal family were the ones who wanted me to bless the ceremony. As such, it seemed only natural that they should speak with the Sovereign temple themselves to decide which ritual was to be chosen and who would perform it. It wasn’t as though I wanted to be today’s High Bishop. In fact, now that I’d read that tablet, I didn’t even mind the thought of being sent home. I didn’t want to be wrapped up in a power dispute between the royal family and the Sovereign temple anyway.

“Stay where you are” was the prince’s response. “I will be there promptly.”

To my disappointment, it seemed that I would need to stay. I turned to Immanuel and Hartmut, who were discussing the ritual. They seemed to be in dispute about who would perform the High Priest’s duties. Hartmut kept double-checking the points at which I would need support, while Immanuel insisted that the Sovereign temple needed to maintain its presence through the High Priest.

“Is Rozemyne here?” Anastasius asked as he approached.

“Delighted to see you again, Prince Anastasius,” I replied. We greeted each other, after which I elected to let him and Immanuel decide what role I would play.

I won’t go out of my way to say this, since it would obviously anger them, but I think the royal family was too sloppy with its ordering around of the Sovereign temple. Just look at what a mess this has turned into.

The Sovereign High Bishop had performed these ceremonies for years without fail, so it seemed pretty obvious that he wouldn’t want some outsider swooping in and taking his place. To make matters worse, said outsider hadn’t even been informed of crucial details, which had resulted in her being scolded. If the royal family really wanted me to perform this blessing, the least they could have done was keep a closer eye on the situation.

Though I suppose it all just goes to show how little the temple thinks of them.

“So, am I to perform this ancient ritual or not?” I asked.

Anastasius paused, then said, “Yes. We are better prepared for an unexpected incident than we were with Detlinde. After all, even a fool could tell that, with you involved, something bizarre is bound to happen.”

The nerve. If he was so concerned about “something bizarre” happening, then why was I here in the first place? Had he forgotten that he was the one ordering me to do this?

“So, Rozemyne... what unusual consequences can we expect when you perform the ceremony clad in the divine instruments?” Anastasius asked.

“I don’t know.”

His eyes widened. “You said that you read the text, did you not?”

That was true, but the tablet had provided only an overview of the ceremony. It hadn’t gone into any considerable detail or mentioned what might happen, and it wasn’t like I could predict the future.

“I can confirm that it was about the Starbind Ceremony,” I said, “so the wedding itself should proceed without issue.”

My explanation elicited a drawn-out groan from Anastasius, but he eventually conceded. “As long as a Starbind Ceremony of some kind is performed, that will do. The aubs will be here soon... and we of the royal family will enter afterward. I must go for now. Stay here, and take care to keep between the lines.”

After watching Anastasius turn away and swiftly depart, his cape fluttering behind him, I observed the aubs steadily streaming into the auditorium. I could tell which duchies they were from by the colors of their capes. The occasion greatly resembled the Royal Academy’s coming-of-age ceremony, but with adults instead of students.

Loud chimes filled the air, indicating that it was third bell. Not everyone had entered the room yet, but those who hadn’t soon picked up the pace.

Once the colors of every duchy could be seen in the audience, Immanuel stood in front of the shrine as the High Priest and waved a magic tool covered in bells. The door opened in turn, and in came the royal family. There was the Zent, his first wife, Anastasius, and Eglantine, and they all gracefully headed to their seats. For a moment, I wondered why the second and third wives weren’t present, but then I remembered that only first wives attended the Archduke Conference.

The bell rang again, this time to mark my entrance. I stood up and made my way over to the shrine. An audible stir ran through the crowd; it seemed that not every duchy had been told that I would be performing the ceremony as the High Bishop.

I walked as quickly as I could while still being careful not to tread on my robes. Hartmut followed alongside me with the bible in hand, while my knights flocked around me in their ceremonial blue robes. It was an unusual sight, to be sure. The High Bishop would normally enter alone, but Hartmut’s obstinacy and unrelenting insistence had resulted in our current formation.

Hartmut was extremely wary of the Sovereign temple. When its members had tried to argue that the High Bishop should enter alone, he had shut them down with a single argument: “Lady Rozemyne is no ordinary High Bishop; she is an archduke candidate as well.” Then, afterward, he had approached my guard knights and said, “Your most important duty is keeping the Sovereign priests away from our lady. If anyone so much as touches her without permission, sever their arms immediately.”

Of course, cutting their arms off sounds a bit extreme. Immanuel does creep me out, though, so I appreciate having everyone nearby.

I arrived in front of the shrine, at which point Hartmut gave me the bible. Leonore adjusted the hem of my robes for me, then stood off to the side.

Immanuel waited for us to complete our preparations, then narrowed his eyes slightly and gestured with his hand. He was signaling me to put on the divine instruments. In response, Hartmut signaled back at him, urging him to start without them; he understood just how much mana it required to maintain the instruments, so the later we could bring them out, the better.

There was a repetitive back-and-forth of waves as the two High Priests tried to out-stubborn each other. It wasn’t long before some impatient muttering came from the audience, which spurred Immanuel to break the stalemate.

“The Starbind Ceremony shall now begin. Brides and grooms, enter!”

Five couples entered, with Sigiswald and Adolphine at their head. The nobles clapped and cheered in support of the unions, giving rise to a most joyous atmosphere.

I wish I could have blessed Ferdinand...

He obviously wasn’t among the group of couples, since his marriage to Detlinde was being delayed. This had been my one and only chance as well; the royal family had asked me here specifically to bless Sigiswald, so they were unlikely to summon me for any future ceremonies. People my age weren’t even supposed to be here.

Come on, Aub Ahrensbach—why couldn’t you have lived just a little while longer?

Ferdinand would have been able to marry Detlinde and receive a hidden room, while I would have been able to give him the largest blessing I could manage. In other words, I wouldn’t have needed to worry about him as much.

His timing couldn’t have been worse...

I sighed—but then I realized that I was the only sour face in the room and quickly forced a smile. I made eye contact with Sigiswald and Adolphine, both of whom had climbed up onto the stage, and gave them a congratulatory nod.

I slotted a key into the bible on the reading stand, opened it, and then turned the pages. A shriek that I recognized as having come from Fraularm echoed throughout the hall... but nothing followed it, so I began the ceremony.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Immanuel still signaling for me to put on the divine instruments, looking highly unamused. Unfortunately for him, the wait would continue; I needed to use a voice-amplifying magic tool when telling the biblical story.

He sure is being fussy. I made it clear that I’ll wear them when I need to, didn’t I...?

Ignoring his nonstop gestures, I used a voice-amplifying magic tool and started to tell the tale of the God of Darkness and Goddess of Light. The God of Life sought to marry the Goddess of Earth, and the supreme gods granted their permission. In the meantime, Hartmut and Cornelius prepared the same kind of magic pens I’d previously used to sign my name with my mana.

“Now, let us bless the birth of these newlyweds in the image of the gods,” I said.

I took a step back, and my guard knights shrouded me behind the large sleeves of their robes so that I could put on the divine instruments. At times like this, I appreciated being small; it made things a lot more convenient.

My reappearance wearing the cape and crown elicited quite a response from the audience. Immanuel gave a satisfied smile—he had probably been worried that I wouldn’t use the divine instruments at all—and I continued the ceremony.

“Come forth, Prince Sigiswald, the first of Zent Trauerqual. Come forth, Lady Adolphine, the daughter of Aub Drewanchel.”

The couple snapped out of their trance and advanced to the shrine. “Anastasius told me what was going to happen,” Sigiswald said, “but it still surprises me to see you wearing the divine instruments.”

“The shrine has identical copies; are yours from Ehrenfest?” Adolphine asked.

They’re both my schtappes...

I couldn’t admit that here and now, so I merely smiled, avoided the question, and presented them with a contract to confirm their wills. It disappeared in a burst of golden flames the moment they signed their names, as did the contracts of the couples who signed their names afterward.

“May the High Bishop bless these newlyweds,” Immanuel said.

I raised my hands and started to pray. “O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies, O God of Darkness and Goddess of Light, hear my prayers...”

All of a sudden, the golden brooch at my neck came apart on its own, and the cape of Darkness flew up to the ceiling without so much as a sound. As I stared upward, still in prayer, the cape extended in every direction and created its very own night sky.

“May you grant your blessings to the birth of new unions.”

Next, the crown lifted off of my head and up into the air, where it began to shine like the sun ablaze. The presence of the God of Darkness engulfed the auditorium, while the Goddess of Light bathed us all in her radiance.

Ah, the supreme gods...

They were here; there wasn’t a single doubt in my mind. I continued praying to them.

“May they who offer their prayers and gratitude to you be blessed with your divine protection.”

The night sky contracted into a single point, while the bright ring emanating from the crown began to spin. Immediately after, pillars of Darkness and Light shot up toward the ceiling and flew off somewhere; it seemed to be a pretty common occurrence during the Royal Academy’s ceremonies, so I thought nothing of it. Most of the remaining light twisted around itself, overlapping and dancing through the air, and turned into a glistening dust that rained down upon the newlyweds. That part also happened when the ritual was performed in Ehrenfest.

Despite my initial concerns, I now understood why they didn’t bother waiting until night to hold the ceremony here at the Royal Academy—as long as you were wearing the divine instruments, the night sky came to you.

There was the sensation of my schtappes going back inside of me, and with that...

It’s done.

The ceremony was complete, as was the task that the royal family had given me. I sighed in relief and muttered, “Ceremonies here at the Royal Academy always end up being so much flashier than when they’re performed in Ehrenfest.”

“And so much more divine,” Hartmut added with a smile. He was standing right next to me and was likely the only one who had caught my remark. He took the bible from its reading stand, then offered me his hand and said, “Let us depart while everyone is in awe.”

An excellent suggestion!

Together, we moved into a break room near the auditorium. Hartmut handed the bible to Leonore, then ordered Damuel to pick me up and take me back to the dormitory as soon as possible.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Hartmut said, “please allow me to borrow Cornelius for the cleanup and any incoming questions.”

“Certainly, but...”

“You should take your leave now, before any troublesome individuals appear. It might be a bit of a detour, but return through this door instead.”

Had they all planned this in advance? Angelica gripped Stenluke by the hilt, ready to fight at a moment’s notice, and took the lead as we started down the hall. Damuel was hot on her heels; I was still in his arms, trying to wrap my head around the situation; and Leonore was bringing up the rear with a reassuring smile.

“This is merely for safety’s sake,” Leonore assured me. “Hartmut is tremendously wary of Immanuel of the Sovereign temple. He described the man as ‘an incredibly dangerous fanatic.’”

I was told that Immanuel got an even more intense look in his eye the longer he spent with me, especially now that he knew I could wear the divine instruments and read the ancient language the royal family hadn’t been able to understand. Hartmut saw him as a genuine threat right now.

Well... for Hartmut of all people to have called him a fanatic, it really must be serious. Or, uh... maybe that was a little cruel of me. Hartmut never has the same crazed look in his eye as Immanuel, nor is he anywhere near as terrifying...

“It would seem he is planning to take you from Ehrenfest and put you in the Sovereign temple,” Damuel explained. “Their issue is that, while they can understand the ancient texts and gain valuable knowledge from them, they lack the mana necessary to actually perform the ceremonies. They wish to use yours to find the country a true Zent.”

Hartmut had ended up hearing this straight from the horse’s mouth. Immanuel had said to him that, in these dire times, what Yurgenschmidt needed more than anything else was a true Zent. He had proclaimed that Ehrenfest should support the Sovereign temple in its study of ancient ceremonies and that it was Hartmut’s duty as our High Priest to instruct Aub Ehrenfest to send me there. “A true Zent must be obtained,” he had said. “For the sake of Yurgenschmidt in its entirety.”

Hartmut had refused with a smile. “I act only for Lady Rozemyne’s sake, and she wishes to stay in Ehrenfest.”

“Well, can’t we just ignore them?” I asked. “We shouldn’t have much trouble dealing with the Sovereign temple.”

“Indeed, if we were only dealing with the temple, that approach would work,” Leonore said. “The problem is that the royal family is just as passionate about obtaining the Grutrissheit and a true Zent. Nobody can predict what decrees might be made when these two groups’ interests align. Hartmut is more concerned about that than anything.”

Ehrenfest did not have the means to refuse a royal decree. Hartmut was of the opinion that the royal family was making too many demands of us, even while they doubtless understood the danger of such oppression.

“You may have a personal connection to the royal family, but still—never before have they made so many requests of a given individual.”

It was also by their order that I was going to be reading documents in the underground archive. I was still underage, so I shouldn’t have received permission to go there to begin with. I was also still a student, which made my involvement in these matters extremely unconventional. The royal family was making these requests of me even at the cost of breaking tradition.

Leonore gave me a troubled smile. “Hartmut would never tell you this, since he knows how much you look forward to visiting the archive, but he is very uneasy about the royal family’s willingness to involve you in old ceremonies and order you to perform translations while you are already so busy with temple work and merchant business back in Ehrenfest. Although there is no helping a royal decree, your duties back home are far more important.”

“I suppose...” I replied. Helping out in the castle would definitely benefit Ehrenfest more than assisting the royal family. I started to feel a bit guilty about how much I enjoyed going to the underground archive.

“Um, er...” Damuel fumbled, likely searching for a way to ease the oppressive atmosphere that had swept over us all. His eyes wandered, then he smiled and said, “You certainly have gotten heavier, Lady Rozemyne.”

The silence that followed was deafening. It was obvious that he had meant to say something to the tune of “Oh, how you’ve grown!” or “You’re so much taller now!” but being told that I was heavier was as pleasant as a knife to the chest.

“L-Let me down,” I said.

“No, no, Lady Rozemyne,” Leonore interjected. “Damuel... perhaps women avoid you because you say such cruel things to them?”

“E-Excuse me?” Damuel floundered, his eyes flitting between Leonore and me. “I was just glad to see that Lady Rozemyne is growing...”

“I understand what you meant and that you intended to lighten the atmosphere, but telling a girl that she has gotten heavier is without a doubt one of the worst things you could say.”

“Sorry...” Damuel muttered, hanging his head. By looking so sad, he actually succeeded in lightening the mood—even if only a little.

We giggled as we turned the corner, but then Angelica came to an abrupt halt. Immanuel and several priests were blocking the hall ahead. Damuel gripped me tighter.

“Oh, Lady Rozemyne,” Immanuel said. “You seem to be in quite the hurry. I was hoping to thank you for performing the ceremony for us...”

“Indeed,” I replied. “I am feeling quite unwell from using too much mana, so I am in the process of returning to my dormitory. How shameful that you have seen me in such a state...” My explanation was little more than an attempt to buy time while I racked my brain for a way to get past their defensive line.

“Lady Rozemyne, the Sovereign temple contains many more ancient documents. Please, come and read them with us.”

I went to throw my hands up in celebration, but Damuel stopped me by swiftly tightening his arms around me.

Oops. Thanks.

“The royal family declares our documents to be fake,” Immanuel continued, “so they refuse to pay us any mind. We were hoping that you would read them and prove that we speak only the divine truth.”

“My apologies. I am so unwell that I cannot even think straight. Furthermore, I believe that such requests should be made through Aub Ehrenfest.” I then signaled Angelica with my eyes, telling her to advance. She nodded and continued onward.

“Allow me to show you a most excellent place to rest,” Immanuel said, and extended a hand to me. In the blink of an eye, Angelica had unsheathed Stenluke.

“If you touch Lady Rozemyne without permission, I will cut off your arm.”

Immanuel gulped. He must not have expected Angelica to be a knight, since she was still wearing her blue shrine maiden robes. Leonore took advantage of the shock and confusion to get past him, with Damuel following close behind.

It wasn’t until we were far away from the Sovereign priests that Angelica sheathed Stenluke again.