Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.6 - Chapter 14

The Trombe Hunt and the Starbind Ceremony

“Magnificent,” Hartmut declared. “I am learning so much just from looking at this recipe. These methods for minimizing both mana expenditure and the need for expensive ingredients only reinforce the importance of experience.”

Clarissa was similarly in awe. By using methods and ingredients that neither one of them had considered, Ferdinand had managed to drastically reduce both the mana requirement and the cost of brewing maximal-quality fey paper.

“But as a consequence, the paper takes longer to brew and requires a wider variety of ingredients,” I noted in a desperate attempt to promote the speed of my own recipe.

Hartmut gave a wry smile. “That may be so, but Clarissa and I can brew this paper without exhausting our mana. Using the new recipe from Lord Ferdinand will prove much faster overall.”

Mine required the mass production of gold dust, which was time-consuming to make and extremely mana-intensive. That was why nobody else would use my recipe—they would need to brew more rejuvenation potions on top of everything else.

Hartmut continued, “We were barely able to assist you with your recipe. But with this one, which improves the paper’s quality through a careful combination of ingredients, we should actually be able to help.”

The modifications to my recipe had made it so that archscholars could actually brew it themselves—but only by the skin of their teeth. It really went to show how inefficient my recipe had been, and how much of a tall order he had put upon us.

“According to this recipe,” Clarissa said, peering down at the text, “Lord Ferdinand will perform the final stage of the brewing.”

Indeed, on closer inspection, Ferdinand wanted paper that was one step away from completion. In other words, we were to supply three hundred sheets that could be turned into maximal-quality fey paper.

“He must have determined that it would be less wasteful—in terms of both mana and ingredients—for him to complete the process himself...” Hartmut mused. “Perhaps it was your hard work to obtain him a workshop that led to this change of plan.”

I nodded. Now that Ferdinand had his own workshop, he could do the most crucial part of the brewing process himself. That was bound to be the reason for his new instructions, and it changed how much fireproof paper we would need.

“Fireproof paper is scarce and expensive, so we certainly would want to minimize its use,” Clarissa said. Then she looked at the box we had in the workshop; there definitely wasn’t enough inside for our purposes. “Lady Rozemyne, you bought the Plantin Company’s entire stock, correct? How are we going to obtain the rest we require? We won’t be able to buy it.”

I cocked my head at her. “I mean... if we can’t buy it, we’ll just have to make it ourselves, won’t we?”

“The ingredients seem to be rare, though,” she said, looking surprised. “How would we manage?”

I smiled and shook my head. “For now, I wish to keep that a secret. Let us instead focus on cleaning up and preparing ourselves. We won’t be able to brew without our ingredients in place.”

Together with Gretia, I sorted through and sampled the spices and seasonings we had received from Letizia, all the while looking through the included recipes. We arranged everything so that Hartmut and the others would have an easier time finding what they needed.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Gretia said, “the ingredients are all where they should be. What shall we do now?”

“We shall return to the temple,” I replied. “We must prepare for the Starbind Ceremony and speed along the handover, so Melchior and the others will want us back right away.”

Given the circumstances, I couldn’t leave the temple unattended for long. I got Judithe to deliver my replies to the castle, while the seasonings and such were taken to the temple’s kitchen.

“Will you be inventing new recipes with these seasonings?” I was asked.

“Indeed. Since tasting them, I have been able to envision all kinds of new flavors.”

Some of the spices would allow me to make a curry of sorts, though I doubted it would actually satisfy me. I would need to think of a way to give it some oomph, which was something to look forward to.

I just hope I’ve got enough time...

Upon returning to the temple, I summoned Fritz and asked him to start gathering taues from the forest. We were unlikely to find any if we waited until after the Star Festival.

“We need to make fifty more sheets of paper,” I said. “Get more taues than you think you might need—oh, and do not bring any of the children who have mana. The last thing we need is an incident in the forest.”

It would be a disaster if one of them sustained an injury and bled onto the soil. We might have been able to resolve a situation like that at the temple, but the forest was out of sight, which made things a lot more complicated.

“In that case, I shall divide the children into two groups: those who will go to the forest, and those who will stay behind to make paper.”

“Please do. And take extra care that none of the children with mana are around when we harvest the growy-stretchy trees; I wish to keep our use for them a secret.”

“Understood.”

I’ll only ask my name-sworn retainers to accompany me, I think.

Fritz was especially competent, so the taues I wanted were ready within a mere three days. I went straight to the rear end of the orphanage—for the first time in a long while, might I add—along with my name-sworn knights Laurenz and Matthias. Hartmut was also with us; as always, he had managed to force his way into our group.

Passing through the nearest gate would take one into the lower city. I stared at it for a moment before heading to where the gray priests were preparing the trombe hunt. Seeing them with their hatchets and their baskets of taue fruit came as no surprise to me, but the same couldn’t be said for my knights.

“Lady Rozemyne... what’s going on?” Matthias asked. “What do they intend to do?”

“Those baskets contain the seeds to make growy-stretchy trees. We’re about to hunt them for their ingredients, which we use to make fireproof paper. You aren’t to speak a word of what you see here to anyone, okay? That is an order.”

All of a sudden, the knights recoiled—my mana must have tightened around them in response to my command. They solemnly agreed to keep my secret; then I went over to the priests.

“Fritz, is everything ready?”

“Yes. The children are busy working in the orphanage, so there’s no risk of them seeing us.”

I nodded, then looked up at my knights. “As soon as I throw this fruit, please grab me and step back. Hartmut, stay where you are. Remain on the white pavement at the very least.”

I stood with Laurenz on the border between the bare earth and the pavement. Throwing the taues from here would guarantee that they landed on the soil, unless I somehow managed to toss them over my shoulder or something.

Seeing the gray priests armed with hatchets had put Laurenz on edge, but they weren’t going to do us any harm. They were staring intently at the ground, waiting for the trees that were about to grow.

I reached into the nearby basket and grabbed taues in both hands. They were draining my mana, but I couldn’t feel it as much as before—most likely because my mana capacity had increased since then. The once squishy fruit hardened, and their seeds pushed through to the surface. I could tell from how warm they were that they were about to burst, so I threw them at the ground.

“I choose you, growy-stretchy trees!”

“What?! Trombes?!”

The hunt ended swiftly and without issue, allowing us to gather all the branches that we needed—though my three noble retainers had been stunned from start to finish. I’d grown enough that filling the taues hadn’t cost me much of my mana or stamina.

“How could trombes be hunted so easily...?”

“I thought they could only be slain by knights with black weapons...”

Matthias and Laurenz were shocked to have seen commoners best trombes with ease, but all the priests had done was chop away the branches as they sprouted from the earth.

“Knights only hunt trombes that have grown too large for commoners to defeat themselves,” I noted. “Only then are black weapons required, so what you’ve just witnessed was nothing special.”

“Still, why do you want to keep this a secret?” Laurenz asked, tilting his head at me.

Matthias nodded. “Should you not share this information with the Knight’s Order? They could destroy the trombes before they become a threat.”

“There is a festival in the lower city during which the commoners gather taues and throw them at one another,” I explained. “It simply would not do for the knights to start combing the forest to destroy them all, ending the celebration that so many look forward to in the process.”

The lower city had a greater population than the Knight’s Order, and the commoners’ use of human wave attacks was already surprisingly effective. Plus, what if we removed the taue-gathering section of the Star Festival only for the knights to start slacking on their duties? The forest would end up swarmed with trombes. The current system worked just fine; there was no need to stir things up now.

I concluded, “There is nothing wrong with leaving things as they are. The Knight’s Order should only be summoned to defeat trombes that prove too much for the commoners and the other creatures of the forest.”

Hartmut gave me a cautious look. “But would there not be immense chaos if a mana-rich individual with the Devouring took part in the festival...?”

I shook my head. “A lot of mana is needed to sprout a taue. Let’s see... An adult laynoble who had started compressing their mana at the Royal Academy would manage, but most Devouring children with that much mana never live long enough to even participate in the festival. On top of that, taues thrown in the city are very unlikely to cause any trouble; they would not sprout on the white pavement.”

The three nobles cast their eyes down. Even in the Noble’s Quarter, there were children who didn’t have magic tools for their mana.

“At the moment,” I continued, “there are several noble children living in the orphanage. There is a genuine risk that one of them might cause a trombe to grow, which is why I do not intend to have the orphans hunt these trees after my departure. Instead, I will make it known to the soldiers and the citizens that fresh young wood from the forest should be sold to the Plantin Company.”

It would be nice to have the orphanage continue to hunt trombes, since the wood gathered from them was so valuable, but it was simply too risky. I wanted to eliminate as many dangers as I could before leaving for the Sovereignty. Plus, the kids who wanted to use magic tools to become nobles were storing so much of their mana that they were having to use rejuvenation potions. It wasn’t the time for them to start expending themselves on trombe hunts.

In any case, the children not aiming to be nobles wouldn’t have enough mana to grow a trombe—we knew that because Dirk had spent previous Starbind Ceremonies playing with the other kids, and no incidents had occurred. The orphans would need a mastery of mana compression to make one sprout. Otherwise, they would need to wait until they were adults—and even then, they would only be able to sprout one or two.

Dirk would potentially be able to grow a trombe by studying at the Royal Academy and then returning to the temple as a noble, but he would have more important uses for his mana then. He wouldn’t have the leeway to start messing around with taues.

I recalled what Benno had said to me before, when I’d wanted to use taues as a stopgap solution for the Devouring. There was no reason to mention that here and now, though.

“Fritz,” I said, “today was our last day hunting trombes like this. Going forward, I must ask that you only harvest those you come across in the forest, or buy their wood from others who have defeated them. Its value means that we want as much as we can get, but safety always comes first. Once the paper from this harvest has been made, have it delivered to my room. I will purchase it through the Plantin Company.”

“Understood, Lady Rozemyne.”

The Starbind Ceremony came not long afterward. I would need to perform the morning ceremony in the temple, then whiz to the castle for the nobles’ ceremony in the afternoon. In other words, it was going to be a busy day.

As the High Bishop, I climbed up onto the chapel stage and gazed across the gathered couples. Zack was among them, wearing the yellowish outfit of someone born in autumn. The girl standing beside him dressed in spring colors was presumably his bride. She was wearing a hairpin decorated with two divine colors.

According to Lutz and the others, the girl was Zack’s childhood friend and three years his junior. She was reserved but reliable—someone who had always supported her soon-to-be husband and praised his talent for creating new and interesting things.

During his trips to other cities, which often lasted from spring till autumn, Zack had always looked forward to coming back to the girl. At the same time, she had worried about him while he was away. In the end, her parents had given the couple an ultimatum: they could either get married or split up to pursue other people. Zack hadn’t wanted to leave the girl, so their marriage had immediately been settled, leading to their binding today.

May Zack and his bride find happiness.

Despite all the warnings I’d received to control myself, the blessing I gave ended up being slightly bigger than usual. Still, it was probably within excusable bounds. I gazed up at the black-and-golden light bursting near the ceiling... and a shiver ran down my spine.

This much for Zack, huh? Tuuli’s coming-of-age ceremony isn’t far off... Should I be worried?

In the afternoon, I went to the Noble’s Quarter and performed the Starbind Ceremony there. Then there was the feast where unwed adults looked for partners. Hartmut and Cornelius already had fiancées, so they and their partners were busy setting up their single friends and irresponsibly supporting those who wished to pursue their crushes.

Damuel was riding in Lessy’s passenger seat, hanging his head. He was the only one of my adult retainers without a partner. In the past, he had always spent the run-up to the event encouraging himself, saying that this would be the one. But he just didn’t have it in him this year.

“Lady Rozemyne, I think I should give up on ever getting married...” Damuel muttered, his voice thick with despair. He hadn’t been able to find a partner in Ehrenfest for several years now, and there were so few laynobles in the Sovereignty that his chances there would be nonexistent.

“What’s wrong with being single?” I retorted. “Books are all that anyone needs to live.”

“That might be enough for you, but I want a bride. I envy how everyone else is happily married.”

His fellow retainers were lovey-dovey with each other, and apparently his friends were all married too. One of his adult friends even had a child who was only a few years away from being baptized. Worst of all, when he had grumbled about his troubles to the other retainers, one of them had casually remarked, “And you will probably still be single when it comes time for me to baptize my first child.”

HARTMUUUT!

“Furthermore,” Damuel continued, “I cannot move to the Sovereignty unless I’m married.”

“If you want a wife that much, I suppose you have no choice but to wait for when Philine comes of age.”

“Lady Rozemyne, she told me to my face that she doesn’t intend to marry me. It would be cruel of you to order it anyway.” His expression was stern, but he sounded defeated. It seemed to me that he was trying not to think of Philine as a love interest simply because work had brought them closer together.

“Do you mean when you suggested marrying her so that Konrad could become a noble?”

“Yes...”

As expected, he had interpreted Philine’s response as a rejection. Back when she had described their conversation to me, she had painted Damuel as a hero for all that he was doing for her behind the scenes. But seeing him now... I wasn’t so sure.

“Damuel, I’ve already spoken with Philine. She told me her desire to be an independent woman, not a little sister or some such who needs to be protected. That’s why she wants to do things on her own. Then, when the time is right... she’s going to propose to you.”

“What?! Philine? Propose to me?! I... No, I won’t be fooled. Not this time.” A beaming smile had arisen on his face, only to be replaced with a neutral expression as he put up his guard. It was kind of worrying. Had his hopes really been dashed enough times to warrant such a reaction?

“This isn’t a trick, but I should warn you—she’s taken inspiration from Clarissa’s proposal to Hartmut. In true Dunkelfelger fashion, you can expect to have your legs swept out from under you and a knife pressed against your throat.”

“Please tell me you’re lying!”

“I speak nothing but the truth.”

“This can’t be...” Damuel groaned. Though he was cradling his head in his hands, he seemed more full of life than when he’d been grumbling about the bleakness of his future.

A chuckle escaped me. “If you fear an aggressive proposal that much, I would suggest you act first.”

“Lady Rozemyne...” he said, eyeing me warily. “What would you like me to do?”

“What do you mean? It makes no odds to me whether you propose to Philine or she proposes to you.”

“No, I mean for the future. You asked Lieseleta to go with you to the Sovereignty, didn’t you? As a laynoble, I don’t know whether I would be of any use to you there, and the last thing I’d want to do is weigh you down. That’s why I ask: What do you want me to do?”

As a laynoble guard knight serving a member of the archducal family—adopted or not—Damuel had been subjected to vicious mockery behind the scenes. People declared that I was only keeping him around because we had known each other since I was little. Our current arrangement couldn’t last forever, though. By the time I moved to the Sovereignty, everyone would see me as a girl of marriageable age. Bringing with me a bachelor laynoble from my hometown would invite unwelcome rumors.

He continued, his shoulders slumped, “This wouldn’t be an issue if I were married, but as it stands, I would only complicate things by going with you. I can’t imagine what I would even be able to do for you in the Sovereignty.”

“You are a strong unifying force for my retainers. I respect your talent for detecting traces of mana and consider it a virtue to have a knight who is skilled with paperwork. Moreover, because I’ve known you for longer than I’ve known any of my other retainers, it would warm my heart to have you with me.”

“I... I see. I’m honored,” Damuel said, scratching his cheek in a show of embarrassment. That embarrassed me too, but I continued anyway.

“That said, Philine is staying in Ehrenfest until she comes of age. I am also terribly worried that we won’t have enough time for the temple handover, and that printing-related business with the commoners might begin to deteriorate after I am gone. Thus, there is a part of me that would rather you stay here.”

Damuel had spent more time training with Ferdinand than any of my other retainers and would be able to provide input on the industry while assisting Henrik. Staying in Ehrenfest would allow him to protect Philine from danger after she became the orphanage director, and the Gutenbergs in the lower city until the Sovereignty was ready for them. In short, there was much to gain from leaving him behind.

“I intend to protect you as much as I can,” I said, “but the road ahead of you won’t be easy no matter which option you pick. That’s why I’m leaving the decision in your hands. I will support whatever choice you make.”

Damuel spent some time in thought. Then, as we finally neared the castle, he looked at me with resolve in his gray eyes and said, “Lady Rozemyne, I choose to stay in Ehrenfest.”

It was settled, then. If he did end up marrying Philine, then he would accompany her to the Sovereignty when she came of age. If not, and nobody else decided to marry him, he would prioritize my honor and remain in Ehrenfest.

“I am glad you have made up your mind, Damuel. However... I think it would be more manly if you stole Philine’s heart instead of waiting for her to propose.” He had radiated coolness while compressing his mana to catch up with Brigitte, and while his love had ultimately been lost, his determination had earned him a place in one of Elvira’s stories. “Being more proactive would appeal not just to Philine but to my mother as well.”

“Being in one of Lady Elvira’s books is more than enough for me!”