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

The Lanzenave Envoys

“These documents will require your authorization, Lady Detlinde.”

I rolled my eyes at the scholar, who had just entered with even more paperwork to add to the ever-growing stack. Life had been painfully boring since my return from the Archduke Conference. I did as required and continued to sign one document after another with my mana pen, but the situation made no sense to me. I was no mere future aub; I was the country’s next Zent.

How dare they waste my time with such trifles.

One could not blame me for my impatience. Once I obtained the Grutrissheit, I would at last be freed from this busywork.

My escape would have come sooner if not for those interfering royals.

Because of my current status, visiting the Sovereignty was no easy feat. The Archduke Conference had come as a shining opportunity—but the royal family had gotten in my way at every turn. It was truly infuriating.

I would have learned so much if they had let me investigate that underground archive.

The king’s incredibly rude third wife had scoffed at me and suggested that I first study the ancient language. Just thinking back to our exchange filled me with displeasure, which grew even further when I remembered that asinine order from Trauerqual. He wanted me to give Lord Ferdinand a hidden room, of all things!

And it needs to be done by the funeral, since he plans to check whether the royal decree was followed. The nerve! That incompetent king must have lost his mind. Does he not know that giving an unmarried man his own hidden room is the height of impropriety? Unless I obtain the Grutrissheit and stake my claim to the throne soon, Trauerqual will surely bring Yurgenschmidt to ruin.

It was unbelievable. The future of our country really did rest on my shoulders.

I recalled the Sovereign priests’ pleas for me to become a proper Zent, then sighed and said, “How troublesome...”

In truth, I was not troubled in the least. They were right to place their faith in me.

Ah.

I met the gaze of the scholar, who was waiting for me to finish signing the papers. My contemplating had stilled my hand. If only the Grutrissheit were already mine... A mere scholar would never dare to pressure his Zent.

But alas, I did not yet have the Grutrissheit, so I resumed signing.

“Hm...?”

Goose bumps suddenly covered my arms, and a shiver ran down my spine. It was the same sensation as having a cold, but I was in perfect health, and there was nary a chill on this warm summer’s day.

Two words flashed through my mind: border gate. Someone was trying to enter the duchy without the aub’s permission. It was a feeling exclusive to archducal family members dedicating their mana to the foundation.

My father’s death meant we were currently without an aub, so we could not close any border gates on our side. There was only one gate in Ahrensbach where such an intrusion would not alert our guards: the one connected to the country gate out at sea.

“I am returning to my chambers,” I said, setting down my mana pen and rising to my feet. “Martina—prepare my riding clothes and veil, and gather my retainers. I must check on the border gate.”

The scholar was astounded that I would abandon my signing work, so I shot him a scathing look. “You are in my way. Did you not hear me say I must check on the border gate? Our guests must be envoys from Lanzenave.”

Only then did the scholar grasp the importance of my leaving. He quickly sorted the documents, separating the signed and unsigned ones, then hurried out of the room with them—to report to Lord Ferdinand, no doubt.

The scholars discuss everything with Lord Ferdinand and entrust him with so much administrative work. That is why nobody could refuse the royal family’s bizarre decree. How pathetic.

I spent the whole journey back to my chambers mentally berating the incompetent scholars, who were much too dependent on my fiancé. Then I put on the riding clothes my attendants rushed to bring me and a veil to shield me from the sun.

I sighed. “How envious I am that men can ride their highbeasts without first needing to change.”

Thanks to that frustrating disparity and the scholars’ need to share every little detail with Lord Ferdinand, he would arrive at the border gate before me. I sped onto the balcony and took flight, hoping to arrive before I lost all control of the situation.

The glimmering blue ocean stretched out before me. In the distance, I could just barely see a tiny black dot attempting to enter the gate. I made my way over at once—and of course, Lord Ferdinand and the Knight’s Order were already there when I arrived.

“Lady Detlinde, is that ship definitely from Lanzenave?” Lord Ferdinand asked. “I do not recognize its style.”

Because he was from Ehrenfest, he had never seen a Lanzenave ship before. Knowing that he—a man who had gathered more support from the scholars than I and who dared to act as though he were our duchy’s next aub—needed my help made me feel somewhat superior.

“Indeed,” I said. “Lanzenave has been using that design since last year. I am told it moves rather quickly.”

Lanzenave’s new ship was black and elongated. In a sense, it was like a massive fish.

I continued, “During last year’s welcoming feast, an envoy told me the ships are designed to carry as much luggage as possible while still being thin enough to use the border gate. Ah, behold. They will change in a most unusual way after passing through.”

I pointed, and the ship that had just passed through the gate stopped on its way to the port. Tiles on its surface began to turn, changing it from black to silver.

“And what purpose does that serve?” Lord Ferdinand asked.

“I do not know, but Lanzenave envoys consider it necessary before staying here. Personally, I would rather their ships remain black; that silver is terribly bright.”

Trade with Lanzenave was essential to Ahrensbach’s economy—especially because we had the only open country gate in Yurgenschmidt. Entrusting the matter to Lord Ferdinand, who knew nothing of our culture or theirs, would put our entire duchy at risk. That was why I intended to take full control.

“The boat will dock at the port,” I said, “then the envoys will come to the castle and request an audience. We shall grant it and prepare for them a welcoming feast as we wait for the boat to arrive. As we have confirmed the intruders as guests from Lanzenave, we may return to the castle.”

“You can go ahead of me. I did not know that gate was unmanned. One might consider it an invitation for Lanzenave to invade, so I shall command the Knight’s Order to station guards there from now on.”

What is he saying? That makes no sense at all.

“That gate is used solely by Lanzenave envoys,” I said. “It is surrounded only by the ocean, and our guests have already arrived. I do not see why we should treat them with suspicion.”

It would be a waste to assign knights to the border gate. Did Lord Ferdinand not understand something that simple?

“Do they wish to continue sending trade ships? Then we will need to keep them under watch,” he said. “Commander, assign guards to the border gate at once.”

“Yes, my lord,” the commander replied. “How many would you advise?”

Lord Ferdinand was completely ignoring my advice, even though I went out of my way to educate him! And the commander, rather than seeking my opinion, was already discussing the details of his assignment. It was unbelievable that they would both disregard me.

“Hmph. Fine!” I exclaimed, vying for their attention. “I shall return to the castle, then!”

Lord Ferdinand did not even turn around as he said, “Lady Detlinde, since you seem to know when the welcoming feast will take place, I would ask you to oversee the necessary arrangements.” Then, without another word, he flew to the border gate with his retainers and the knight commander.

I cannot believe this. They think insultingly little of my talents!

Infuriated that my own fiancé would treat me so awfully, I returned to my chambers with my retainers. The moment we got back, they began making arrangements for the welcoming feast.

“Halt!” I said. “Just whose orders are you following? You serve me, do you not?”

My retainers stared at me in surprise, then exchanged troubled glances. A long moment passed before Martina stepped forward.

“We are not doing this for Lord Ferdinand, my lady. If we do not give the envoys a proper welcome, Lanzenave might assume you are unsuited to become our next aub.”

“Indeed, Martina is correct,” another of my retainers said. “There are envoys coming. We would have started getting ready for the feast no matter what Lord Ferdinand ordered.”

“We would not want to besmirch your good name by letting things go unprepared. Please allow us to proceed.”

They were correct, and their revelations cheered me up. “Very well,” I said, waving them away. “Leave the bare minimum here and go do your work.”

My retainers resumed their duties. Meanwhile, Martina came to me with a letter. “Lady Detlinde, it would seem that Lady Georgine wishes to speak with you.”

“Mother does? It must be about that again... Please excuse me.”

Though I was recognized as the next aub—or the next Zent, to the truly insightful—I had not yet settled into either position. This meant I could neither lord over my mother nor refuse her invitations, no matter my displeasure.

Having no other choice, I agreed to meet with her. The required preparations had already been made, so she arrived at my room in no time at all. We exchanged greetings, then she handed me a sound-blocking magic tool. Her next words came as no surprise.

“Detlinde, has Lord Ferdinand received a hidden room yet? If everything is not ready in time for the funeral, both you and Ahrensbach as a whole will receive a lambasting from the royal family.”

“I understand that, but granting someone a hidden room before they are wed...? It is unthinkable, Mother. Cruel, even. Fiancés are not normally afforded such a luxury.”

As hidden rooms could not be made in guest accommodations, we would need to invite Lord Ferdinand into proper chambers to carry out this unreasonable request. A man who had yet to become my husband would suddenly be able to enter my bed whenever he pleased. It was improper!

Once I obtained the Grutrissheit and took my rightful place as Zent, I would cancel my engagement to Lord Ferdinand in a heartbeat. I did not want to marry him—and to make matters worse, he had once been sent to the temple. He could not be trusted.

Worse still, if what happened so often in the temple were to happen here, the public would blame me for giving Lord Ferdinand his own chambers in the first place. Even though the royals had ordered it.

“That may be so, but if Lord Ferdinand is not given a hidden room, he will need to return to Ehrenfest until your wedding. We cannot allow that to happen—not with Ahrensbach in its current state.”

My mother’s dark-green eyes betrayed not even a trace of emotion, even though her own daughter was about to have her life ruined by a royal decree. I had thought she might show at least some concern for my chastity—or express her outrage at the royals for their unreasonable demands—but that flicker of hope quickly died out, as it always did when I expected something of her. I was so embarrassed that I couldn’t even meet her gaze.

But when I am the Zent...

Maybe then Mother would give me the attention I needed. Upon learning that I was a Zent candidate, she had asked me whether I wished to pursue the throne, then told me to do everything I could to secure my dream. It was the first time she had ever encouraged me.

“Get on with it,” she said. “Lanzenave’s envoys are here, and there is not much time before the funeral.”

“If only King Trauerqual had ordered the low-ranking Ehrenfest to be silent instead of making such unreasonable demands of us...” I struggled to understand why Ahrensbach, which placed so much higher in the rankings, was having to meet the needs of an inferior duchy.

“Ehrenfest must have made a powerful move,” my mother ventured. “Still, no matter how unreasonable this royal decree might seem, we must comply. Anything less will incite the aubs of other duchies to scold us.”

I pursed my lips. A mere scolding sounded much better than giving Lord Ferdinand a room. At the very least, it would not threaten my chastity.

Mother gave me a look of exasperation, as if she had read my mind. “Detlinde, the royal decree was only to give him a hidden room. They did not stipulate its location. Simply move him to the western building.”

The western building contained rooms for the duchy’s second and third wives. It had never occurred to me that I could put him there, since he had come to Ahrensbach to marry a female aub, but it really was a genius idea. We would demonstrate that he was still only my fiancé while complying with the royal decree and preventing anything lewd from happening.

Joy spread through my heart. Mother was thinking about me after all.

“If you had such a brilliant idea up your sleeve, you could have told me sooner...” I said with a pout. “I would not have waited so long to give him a room.”

Mother’s red lips curled into a smile. “Now was simply most convenient for me.” The look in her eyes proved that she had not been thinking about my needs at all.

As always. But I did not get my hopes up this time.

From there, Mother declared that we had nothing more to discuss and promptly departed. As I watched her go, I could not help but heave a defeated sigh.

During dinner, I informed Lord Ferdinand that he would be granted a room in the western building. The news took his retainers by surprise, and they questioned me with looks of concern.

“But we are busy with preparations for the funeral and our meeting with Lanzenave’s envoys. We do not have time to relocate from the main building.”

I cared not for their circumstances.

“The blame lies not with me,” I said. “Ehrenfest requested this hidden room, and the Zent ordered us to provide it. If you take issue, then direct your protests to King Trauerqual.”

My only role in this whole ordeal was to give Lord Ferdinand a hidden room in time for the funeral. Everything else was his problem.

“I shall move before the summer funeral,” Lord Ferdinand announced, then gave me the kind smile I was so used to seeing. “You have my immense gratitude for this display of generosity.”

Ah, he truly is beautiful. If only his birth and time in the temple had not ruined him. How unfortunate.

Lanzenave’s envoys had settled into their temporary accommodations, requests for meetings were flying around, and the welcoming feast was on the horizon. In other words, the castle was even busier than usual.

On the day of the feast, I started getting ready in the early afternoon. I ate a light lunch, cleansed, and got changed, which took me quite a while.

Today I was wearing a thin layer of white with a high collar that covered everything except my face beneath a blue covering adorned with gorgeous embroidery. The undergarment was covered in magic circles that relieved me from the heat to at least some degree; I would not have been able to wear anything over it otherwise.

“Your blonde hair is so gorgeous,” one of my attendants crooned while tying it up for me. “I almost wish you had never come of age.”

I covered my face with a thin lace veil. The material did not matter and was often chosen based on personal preference, but wearing one was absolutely necessary for any decent Ahrensbach woman in a formal setting.

Once prepared, I went to the hall with my retainers, feeling a combination of tension and elation. I had been underage last year, so my time at the feast had ended with the exchange of greetings. This was going to be my first time attending the entire thing.

The welcoming feast was held annually and on a small scale. Then a second, larger feast was held when the duchy’s giebes gathered for the rousing summer Starbind Ceremony. This gave them an opportunity to socialize with the Lanzenave envoys.

“Lady Detlinde has arrived,” one of the knights said as I entered the hall. Lord Ferdinand was already in attendance with his retainers, as were the other members of Ahrensbach’s leadership with theirs.

Waiting beside Lord Ferdinand were young Letizia and her retainers. Last year, we had both been sent away together, but now she would need to leave alone. I naturally felt superior as I gazed down at her.

The women in attendance were all wearing veils, while the men were wrapped in large, thin layers of cloth over their high-collared white outfits. Everyone was wearing summer colors in the Ahrensbach style... except Lord Ferdinand, who wore the colors representing Ehrenfest. It was presumably to indicate that he had yet to marry into our duchy, but it made him look entirely as though he were the ruler of the hall.

“Oh my...” I said. “I see you are not wearing summer colors, Lord Ferdinand.”

“I did consider it, but I elected to wear Ehrenfest’s colors instead,” he replied with a peaceful smile. “I wish to make it clear that while I might give my opinion, I do not have the authority to make decisions here.”

I gave an understanding nod. One would normally wish to dress in the superior colors of Ahrensbach, so his decision was nothing if not humble. There were no two ways about it. Surely...

“Lanzenave, enter,” said the attendant by the entrance.

The doors opened wide, and in came Lanzenave’s envoys, approaching in rows. Like the rest of us, they were dressed in clothes of the Ahrensbach style; the climate of their home country was said to be nothing like ours, so they were unable to wear their usual attire during their visits. However, they were not wearing summer colors either. Instead, they were clad in silver clothes I did not recognize, perhaps to indicate their status as Lanzenave’s envoys.

Twelve envoys in total entered the hall. Six looked the same as we did, while the others had more distinct features and skin not the same color as our own. I was used to seeing them each year, but it still shocked me that such slight changes in appearance could make one stand out so much.

One of the envoys stepped ahead of his peers—a man perhaps two or three years my senior. As he crossed his arms and knelt, his young and quite frankly beautiful appearance caught my attention. I did not recognize him, which meant he had not been here last year.

The man’s hair, which was somewhere between golden and chestnut brown, was secured behind his head with a hair clip in a style that had been popular here in Ahrensbach until my grandmother’s generation. Even now, one could find older men wearing it.

“People of Ahrensbach—it is a pleasure to meet you all,” he said. “I am Leonzio, grandson of Lanzenave’s King Chiaffredo. Before the others are introduced, may I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the pure rivers flowing from Flutrane the Goddess of Water?”

“You may...” I answered, blinking in surprise. I certainly had not expected a Lanzenave envoy to give a noble greeting.

Leonzio also wore a feystone ring on his left middle finger, as Yurgenschmidt nobles did. He looked upward, and a blessing fluttered out of its omni-elemental stone, which reflected his status as a royal.

Oh...?

For a fleeting moment, after seeing Lord Ferdinand for the first time, Lord Leonzio was the picture of shock. He quickly hid the expression behind a smile, but there was no denying it—for some reason, he was in complete disbelief. I gave Lord Ferdinand a quick glance to see his reaction, but I saw nothing.

Next, Lord Leonzio began introducing his fellow envoys, acting as though he had never been shocked for a moment. Most of them had come last year, the only exceptions being him and his retainers.

Once they had finished, it was our archducal family’s turn to speak. The death of my late father, the previous aub, was announced, then I was introduced as his successor with Ferdinand as my fiancé. Mother and Letizia were introduced as well.

The formalities soon gave way to more casual conversation. Letizia departed with her retainers, leaving only the adults in the hall. The scholars in charge of trade and those who sought political intelligence approached the envoys with wine-filled glasses, launching into one topic after another. It was the preliminary battle before the upcoming meetings.

“Lord Ferdinand, do you not wish to join them?” I asked.

He replied with a gentle smile, “Because of my duties, I am so rarely able to be with you. I would appreciate this chance for us to spend time together.”

Pleased, I nodded. It was true that we had seldom seen each other as of late. I had assumed that Lord Ferdinand was rudely avoiding me, but he was simply busy.

Of course that was the reason. A man from a lower-ranking duchy would never look down on me.

I sipped a drink Martina had given me, in a much better mood.

“Lady Detlinde—as you are the next aub, there is something we must discuss,” Lord Leonzio began. Then he asked me when the next Lanzenave princess would be accepted. “I would normally wait until the relevant meetings, but I wish to inform my country as soon as I can.”

They would send correspondence via the trade ships passing between our territories.

Looking him in his amber eyes, I smiled and said, “We cannot accept a Lanzenave princess. Please send word to Lanzenave as soon as you can. It would not do for them to prepare for nothing.”

“What? H-Hold on a moment. For what reason would our princess not be accepted...?”

“King Trauerqual decreed it. I am unsure what else to say...”

I recounted as much as I could remember from the recent Archduke Conference, while Lord Ferdinand supplemented my explanation from beside me. That seemed to make Lord Leonzio realize our refusal was neither a joke nor a deception. He stood in a daze for a moment, then suddenly extended a hand to me.

Lord Ferdinand smacked it away at once. “Contain yourself,” he said, his voice quiet but intense. “If you grow too emotional, I will need to summon the guards.”

Lord Leonzio swallowed whatever he had wanted to say and turned to Lord Ferdinand with a slight, peaceful grin. “Does the king of Yurgenschmidt mean to bring Lanzenave to ruin? If not, I would ask that our princess be accepted.”

I cocked my head. How would our refusal of the princess bring Lanzenave to ruin? I wanted to ask, but Lord Ferdinand put an end to the topic with a cold smile.

“Unfortunately, there is nothing we can say or do about a decision made by the Zent.”

He was so curt that I started to feel sorry for Lord Leonzio. “Lord Ferdinand, there is no need to be so cold... We should ask for more information about Lanzenave’s circumstances and pass it along to the Zent. Perhaps he will change his mind.”

Lord Leonzio appeared to relax somewhat, but Lord Ferdinand was unamused. He gave our guest an unwelcoming stare and said, “I do not expect the Zent to go back on his decree. Perhaps you should wait for a new Zent to be crowned and ask them their opinion.”

His refusal to show even a touch of warmth made me rather cross. Ahrensbach had the only open country gate in Yurgenschmidt, and our trade with Lanzenave was crucial to our country’s economy. We needed them as much as they needed us, so why would the Zent not be more considerate of their circumstances?

This is why country bumpkins who know nothing of Ahrensbach or Lanzenave are so troublesome.

I turned my head away from Lord Ferdinand with a sharp pout, then directed a kind smile at Lord Leonzio. It was true that Ahrensbach had very little chance of changing the Zent’s mind, but if we listened to Lanzenave’s plight and made an honest request, maybe we would succeed. He had accepted an abnormal request from Ehrenfest, so why not one from us?

“As luck would have it, Lord Leonzio, the royal family will be visiting Ahrensbach this summer for the late aub’s funeral. Perhaps you could ask the Zent then.”

“Lady Detlinde, what are you saying?” Lord Ferdinand asked, looking shocked. “For security reasons, I cannot permit anyone from Lanzenave to be allowed near the royal family.”

His surprise made no sense to me. “Your permission is not necessary. The royal family will decide whether to allow the meeting. Ahrensbach cannot allow the destruction of such a valuable trade partner, so I wish to hear what Lord Leonzio has to say.”

“There is no need.”

I was beginning to lose my temper. Once again, Lord Ferdinand was disregarding my opinion without making even the slightest attempt to understand it. I would need to put him back in his place.

“I am agreeing to hear him out. Do not interfere. My retainers will remain by my side, so there is no cause for concern. You might think of me as your Geduldh, Lord Ferdinand, but the jealousy of Ewigeliebe is unsightly.”

Lord Ferdinand paused, his light-golden eyes wide with surprise. My accusation was correct after all.

To think he would allow such an emotion to get the better of him... What a troublesome man.

As punishment, I declared that I did not need Ewigeliebe’s company and that I would take Lord Leonzio and my retinue to a separate room for our discussion. One of Lord Ferdinand’s retainers asked to join us, to ensure that nothing inappropriate happened—and out of magnanimity alone, I allowed it.

I guided our group of about fifteen people to a meeting room by the hall. Then, after offering Lord Leonzio a seat, I said, “What did you mean when you said that Lanzenave might be brought to ruin?”

He paused in thought, then replied, “How much do you know about the circumstances surrounding Lanzenave’s founding?”

“Your country is an important trade partner for Ahrensbach, but we are taught nothing about your history. Not even at the Royal Academy.” I knew about the goods we imported from Lanzenave, and that was all; I took no interest in its past. My retainers struggled to mask their grimaces, but it was the truth.

“The story is not shared in Yurgenschmidt, then...”

Lord Leonzio went on to narrate Lanzenave’s past. His tale began almost four hundred years ago, during the reign of our own King Aeussewahl. The name had come up during history lessons, but I remembered next to nothing about it. Still, I politely nodded along as though I understood.

“As your King Aeussewahl grew old and it came time to choose the next Zent, there were three candidates who had obtained Grutrissheits.”

“Oh my. Three with Grutrissheits?” I asked, trying to swallow my shock. I had always assumed there was only one in Yurgenschmidt, and that whoever obtained it would automatically become the Zent.

“The Grutrissheit can be duplicated with one’s schtappe, no? There is nothing unusual about there being several.”

He spoke as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, so I responded with a quick, “Ah, true.” I could not let anyone know that a foreigner knew more about Yurgenschmidt than I did.

“As you know, King Aeussewahl chose King Heileind as his successor.”

That name also rings a bell. What did he do again...?

I continued to smile and nod as I racked my brain, but nothing came to mind. We had barely touched upon King Heileind in class, since he had accomplished very little of note.

Lord Leonzio continued: “One of the three candidates, Tollkuehnheit, could not accept that he was passed over. He left Yurgenschmidt with his magic tools and feystones in search of a new land.”

Tollkuehnheit had sailed through the country gate with his wife and retainers, and ended up in Lanzenave, a nation of people who were incapable of using magic. The land was impoverished but able to support life, which had been good enough for his purposes. He had used his Grutrissheit to create a foundation, then cast entwickeln to make his very own ivory city.

“The people were in awe of Tollkuehnheit, who had arrived suddenly by sea and created an entire city in an instant. They began to worship him as someone from the country of the gods, and that was how he became king of Lanzenave.”

It was true even in Yurgenschmidt that those who obtained a Grutrissheit were worshipped as gods. I would receive the same respect once I got one of my own. For a moment, I imagined everyone’s looks of admiration and reveled in the pleasure. It was essential that I obtain the Grutrissheit posthaste.

“However, despite being worshipped as a god, Tollkuehnheit faced a serious problem: neither he nor his retinue were able to have children with the people of Lanzenave, who did not have any mana. To make matters worse, his Grutrissheit was merely a copy made with his schtappe; it would naturally be lost upon his death.”

Oh my. Is that how Yurgenschmidt lost its Grutrissheit...?

With this new information, I could guess why the civil war had started; the Grutrissheit must have disappeared after the second prince, due to become the Zent, was murdered. The first and third princes who had fought to secure it must not have known it was merely a duplicate, and now, even the location of the original was unknown.

I wonder where one goes to make copies...

Assuming that Lord Leonzio was correct, I would need to find the Grutrissheit before I could make one of my own. Surely that was feasible for someone who had activated the Zent-selecting magic circle.

“The city could at least be maintained by those registered with the foundational magic,” Lord Leonzio continued, “but that required a schtappe. Unless action was taken, it would all one day collapse. As a future aub, you understand this, correct?”

“Yes, of course.”

It was taught at the Royal Academy that one needed a schtappe to obtain foundational magic. Most of my class had considered it an unnecessary lesson, since back then, students had all obtained a schtappe in their first year, but it was a matter of grave importance for those who had magically constructed cities outside the country. The buildings would all collapse without schtappe-wielding individuals who could inherit their foundation.

“Only royals and their retainers had gone to Lanzenave, so the children they bore had plenty of mana. They also received the same education their parents had received in the Royal Academy, since the lessons were passed down to them. However, they could not obtain schtappes anywhere but Yurgenschmidt. Tollkuehnheit petitioned the Zent to give one to his son, as there was no other way for the boy to inherit the foundational magic.”

However, the request was refused. The Zent of the time was not being stubborn or malicious; those not registered as Yurgenschmidt nobles were physically unable to acquire a schtappe.

“Thus, a tradition was born of sending Lanzenave princesses to Yurgenschmidt. Their children would be registered as nobles, obtain their schtappes, then return to Lanzenave to become its new king. The reigning Zent was concerned that Lanzenave might grow too powerful, however, so he made a contract stating that in each generation, only a single individual would return, either male or female.”

Tollkuehnheit had agonized over this. On the one hand, he wanted to preserve the Lanzenave royal family’s abundance of mana, and a baby’s mana was mostly dependent on its mother, so it was better to have a girl return from Yurgenschmidt. On the other, pregnancy would render their schtappe-wielding queen unable to use magic, which would effectively cripple the country.

Lanzenave had plenty of mana-rich women—among the retainers, their families, and their daughters—and asking for a boy to be sent back would make it easier to produce more children. So for each generation, that was what Tollkuehnheit decided to do.

“Thus, a promise between our countries was made: Yurgenschmidt would accept a princess, give her son a schtappe when he came of age, then return him to Lanzenave a king.” Lord Leonzio’s expression contorted. “Yet now Yurgenschmidt refuses to uphold our agreement?”

One could not blame him for being upset; Lanzenave was only sending us its princesses to prevent its collapse, but now we were turning them away. Even my heart began to ache. At the same time, I was furious that King Trauerqual would cast aside such an ancient promise. His streak of cruel and nonsensical decisions made me want to drag him from his throne as quickly as I could.

“Trade from Yurgenschmidt plummeted out of the blue ten years ago after a shipment of feystones, and now our princess is being refused... What are we to do?” He squeezed his hands into tight fists—and it was then that I made my resolve.

“Fear not—I will explain your circumstances to Lord Ferdinand and petition King Trauerqual in your stead. I am a Zent candidate, you know.”

Lord Leonzio stared at me, his amber eyes filled with not only shock but also hope and admiration. “A Zent candidate...?” It was a satisfying reaction, to say the least, and I gave him the kindest smile I could muster.

The next day, I promptly summoned Lord Ferdinand to a meeting. We sat across from each other at a table, then I explained the matter at hand: Lanzenave was sending its princesses to Yurgenschmidt as part of an ancient promise it had made to prevent its collapse. I also made sure to express how cruel the Zent was being for turning his back on such a long-standing agreement.

“I must ask you to explain this to King Trauerqual and get him to reconsider his stance,” I announced with a smile. “Please have a plan ready in time for the funeral.”

It was his job to face and negotiate with the royal family.

I had thought that Lord Ferdinand would sympathize with Lanzenave once he knew its circumstances, but he was not moved in the least. Resting his elbow on the table and his head on his hand, he watched me closely and said, “Is that it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Precisely what I said. You have focused only on what is most convenient for Lanzenave, and introduced no new information of worth. I detect nothing that would change the Zent’s mind.”

“Excuse me?! Lanzenave is in danger of collapse! Do you not understand the severity of not having a Zent or an aub to inherit your foundation?!”

I could not believe my ears. Had he not listened to a word of my appeal? Perhaps he was simply too thick to understand it. I shot him a furious glare, but even then, he gave a calm smile and continued to oppose me.

“Claims that Lanzenave will collapse are greatly exaggerated; its people lived perfectly acceptable lives before Tollkuehnheit showed up. If anywhere is at risk of complete destruction, it is Yurgenschmidt. Our entire country was made with mana, meaning we could very well be reduced to a desert of white sand. The only thing at risk of crumbling away in Lanzenave is the city that Tollkuehnheit built.”

He continued, “Lanzenave might be in dire straits without a schtappe-wielding male, but that has no bearing on Yurgenschmidt. We gain next to nothing from accepting more princesses. Even if their entire country were to collapse as they say, we would simply close our country gate and have it open elsewhere. We do not need to trade with Lanzenave in particular.”

I glared even more intensely. “But we do not have the Grutrissheit right now.”

“True, but it will not be long before that changes, I suspect.”

“Indeed. I am stopping at nothing in my search, but it might be some time yet before I succeed.”

It was the perfect opportunity for Lord Ferdinand to vow to support me, but he merely blinked and said, “Perhaps.” He was always so slow to react at times like this. I sincerely believed that he knew nothing about the fair hearts of women.

“You say that Yurgenschmidt has nothing to gain,” I protested, “but with our royal family being so small, would we not benefit greatly from a Lanzenave princess?”

I was so very proud of my argument, but Lord Ferdinand shook his head. “During our current crisis, we cannot risk a foreigner obtaining the Grutrissheit. You are right that a mana-rich princess would benefit the royal family in some regards, but it would also invite chaos as far as the line of succession is concerned. That is why the princess has been refused, I expect. At the very least, Yurgenschmidt cannot accept one until a true Zent has taken the throne.”

In short, the royals were scared that Lanzenave might seize control of our country in its weakened state. The way Lord Ferdinand propounded such theories and refused to even question the Zent made me sick to my stomach.

“You make a convincing argument, Lord Ferdinand, but is the truth not that you are afraid of standing up to the Zent?”

“Our visitors from Lanzenave simply fear losing the power that has made people worship them as gods. I see no reason why the Zent should endanger Yurgenschmidt for their sake. Plus, what kind of an impact will our decision to oppose the Zent and stand with foreigners have on Ahrensbach? Lanzenave’s royal family might lose their foothold, but the country as a whole will not collapse. The loss of their capital city will doubtless cause some cultural setbacks, but judging by that unusually shaped vessel they arrived on, they have made technological advances unlike anything seen in Yurgenschmidt.”

Lord Ferdinand continued to say everything except what I wanted to hear. He claimed this was a good opportunity to weaken Lanzenave while Yurgenschmidt was unstable, that we needed to dye our foundation at once so that we could close the border gate, and so on.

I cannot believe he is acting so cold even now, when I am being so open about my conversation with Lord Leonzio. That he would watch Lanzenave fall to ruin simply because I forbade him from joining us is simply... Is any man more like Ewigeliebe than he?

“Lord Ferdinand,” I said firmly. “I do not want Lord Leonzio or his family to suffer. You must understand that.”

“You do not want them to suffer, but you would have us take a Lanzenave princess? I doubt the envoys said much about what happens to those women, but those who enter the villa are—”

“Whatever happens to them, Lanzenave clearly takes no issue with it. If their king desires it and the princesses come knowing their fate, then who are we to interfere?”

“Do you mean to say that the princesses who come to Yurgenschmidt deserve their fate and should accept what happens to them?” He was looking straight at me, his golden eyes betraying a painful intensity that told me he was fighting back a storm of emotions. Was it really so excruciating to him that I would support another man over the princesses?

In any case, I refused to back down. I gave a firm nod and said, “Yes. Princesses who take issue with their treatment should tell their family and negotiate with the Zent for things to be improved. Their frustrations are nothing when their entire country is at stake.”

Lord Ferdinand did not respond, but I could tell from how his smile broadened that he finally understood.

“Do make all this clear to the royal family when they arrive for the funeral.”

“Lanzenave’s so-called collapse is nothing compared to the chaos that accepting their princess will wreak on Yurgenschmidt. I side with the Zent.”

He had refused me. For a moment, my mind went blank... then my anger grew so fierce that I could no longer contain it.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

“I came to Ahrensbach by royal decree and stand in no position to support Lanzenave over the king. If you desire change, we will need to wait until the next Zent arises.”

No matter how much I shouted, his expression did not change; he would not speak a word against the royal family while the current Zent held the throne.

“I do not care to know anyone as cold and ignorant as you!” I cried at last. “To think I must be engaged to such a brute... Leave at once. I do not wish to see your face.”

“As you wish,” Lord Ferdinand replied with a thin smile, then stood up and did exactly as instructed. My outrage was clearly apparent, yet he showed not the slightest hint of remorse.

THAT is the man I am expected to marry?!

I spent the rest of my day complaining nonstop about the callous Lord Ferdinand. How was I going to break the news to Lord Leonzio? I could not bear the thought of disappointing someone who relied on me, but I sent word to the building where the Lanzenave envoys were staying.

“Lord Ferdinand is positively heartless. I never knew he was so cruel,” I declared upon visiting what was known as the Lanzenave Estate. I apologized for having failed to convince him, then promised to do everything I could to grant them a meeting with the royal family.

“I see you are not just beautiful but kind as well,” Lord Leonzio said, his amber eyes gazing into mine. “If only we had met sooner.”

My cheeks became flushed. Yurgenschmidt tended to favor delicate euphemisms, so I was not used to being complimented so directly. It certainly did not help that Lord Leonzio was so enticingly handsome. My heart pounded in my chest, I started to sense Bluanfah’s presence...

Then I sat up with a start.

I cannot dance on the palms of the goddesses.

I was a Zent candidate, destined to take the throne or at least become the next Aub Ahrensbach; I could not fall in love with Lord Leonzio when I was already engaged.

“Although I appreciate your feelings, Lord Leonzio... as a Zent candidate, I cannot reciprocate them.”

“Do you already have your Grutrissheit, Lady Detlinde?”

I cast my eyes down, then shook my head. “I am still searching. And, if you would keep this between us...”

I paused to give Lord Leonzio a sound-blocking magic tool. It was bad enough to openly discuss the Grutrissheit, let alone criticize the royal family. If we were to continue this conversation, it would need to be private.

“In truth,” I said, “Yurgenschmidt’s current Zent does not have the Grutrissheit, and the royal family is restricting information so that nobody else can search for it. I would be able to obtain it if they would just stop obstructing me.”

“I cannot believe what I am hearing... This is unforgivable,” Lord Leonzio said. He was getting mad for my sake, out of concern for my future as a Zent candidate. His passion swept over me, soothing the wounds left by my fiancé and gracing me with visions of Efflorelume the Goddess of Flowers.

“Oh, Lord Leonzio...” I giggled. “How kind you are, feeling angry for my sake. Lord Ferdinand shows me no such consideration. He only seethes with jealousy.”

Lord Leonzio paused, seemingly debating with himself. Then he asked one simple question: “Do you love your current fiancé?”

“It was a royal decree that bound me to Lord Ferdinand. I was unable to refuse. He is clearly in love with me, but after seeing him act so cold, I...”

I doubted that I would ever be able to love him back. Only now was it clear to me why Geduldh sought to flee from Ewigeliebe’s ceaseless jealousy.

“He is someone whom I cannot escape from,” I concluded. “Lord Leonzio, I must ask you to keep this a secret.”

“And if you could escape him? Would you take my hand instead?”

“Wh-What are you saying...?”

“I do not have the schtappe of a Zent candidate, so I cannot take the throne. But I do know the location of the Grutrissheit. I could support you in your desire to become queen.”

“Come again...?” I said, swallowing hard. Before me was someone who knew where to find what I was seeking and wanted to help me obtain it. What was this if not Dregarnuhr’s guidance?

“If you accept me as your partner,” he said, “I shall tell you where to look.”

My heart raced at the thought of marrying this irresistibly sweet man. He was close to my age and, better still, not marred by the reputation of the temple. The fact he was raised in another country would create challenges, but he seemed to have received practically the same education as our nobles. Plus, being the grandson of Lanzenave’s king, he was surely rich with the royal blood of Yurgenschmidt. From where we were seated, I could even faintly sense his mana. There was a slight gap between us, but not enough to pose any problems.

“But my engagement is the result of a royal decree...” I muttered.

“If you become the Zent, the decrees of a false king will cease to hold meaning.”

A sweet scent fluttered from Lord Leonzio to me. I subtly leaned closer to him, wanting to inhale it more deeply.

“Your fiancé has done nothing to help you; on the contrary, he has actively spurned your attempts to explain our circumstances.” A gentle smile arose on his lips. “He must be soulless to have refused the heartfelt request of a woman so lovely.”

Lord Leonzio was merely repeating my earlier criticisms, but hearing them from him, I could not shake the feeling that the world agreed with me. Lord Ferdinand truly was a heartless fiancé.

“There is no need for you to be stuck with someone so cruel,” he continued. His kind words reminded me that I already intended to cancel my current engagement upon taking the throne. “Lord Ferdinand greatly resembles my uncle. He must have Lanzenave blood coursing through his veins—and if you are already engaged to such a man, what problem could there be with me taking his place?”

“You... have a point.”

“It can wait until you take the throne, but... let us be wed.” His amber eyes, so assuring and sweet, made me want to melt. “Take my hand, Lady Detlinde. I wish to make you the next Zent.”

My retainers could not tell what we were discussing because of the sound-blocking magic tool, but their expressions changed when Lord Leonzio extended a hand to me. “No, Lady Detlinde!” Martina exclaimed.

“Do not interfere,” I said, brushing aside her attempt to stop me as I stood up and approached the charming man sitting across from me. My mind was fuzzy, almost as though I were in a dream, but I was fully convinced. Letting this opportunity slip through my fingers would make my search for the Grutrissheit so much harder.

This is Dregarnuhr’s guidance. Lord Leonzio is my true soulmate, to whom Liebeskhilfe wishes to bind me.

So, my heart overflowing with confidence, I placed my hand in his.