Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.7 - Chapter 1

Dirk’s and Bertram’s Baptisms

Once the Harvest Festival concluded, winter preparations began. This was nothing new, so I was comfortable entrusting the orphanage and my High Bishop’s chambers to Fran and the others. As for Melchior and the apprentice blues, they were receiving the guidance of their temple attendants. Since they would spend most of their time in the castle, visiting only for the Dedication Ritual, their temple attendants were the ones who would suffer if such preparations weren’t done properly.

Leaving the temple to its own devices, I focused on my own preparations. I was busy making the fey paper for Ferdinand and gathering the necessary materials to create my library shumils, but I’d still found the time to send food and sweets to Ahrensbach. My last delivery—the one I’d sent alongside my letters—was probably running out about now, but this one would last until we met during the Interduchy Tournament.

Eheheh... This time, I’ve sent an Ahrensbach dish with a delicious fish broth—tweaked to suit my tastes, of course. The resulting meal would probably make anyone used to the duchy’s cooking exclaim, “This is delicious but completely wrong! It’s a fake!” But that didn’t bother me.

“Do we even need to go gathering at this rate?” Clarissa asked, looking up from Hirschur’s list of ingredients while I continued to brew paper. “Lord Ferdinand must have everything we need in his workshop!” She was awestruck, and understandably so—the workshop was a veritable treasure trove for scholars into brewing.

“Most of those ingredients were from Justus’s treks across Yurgenschmidt,” I said, “but Ferdinand did gather some of them himself. During Spring Prayer and the Harvest Festival, he used to go out and find ingredients while I focused on the rituals and preserving my stamina.”

I used time-saving magic while glaring down at the brewing pot. This new recipe from Ferdinand involved so many steps and even more ingredients. It was agonizingly tedious.

If only I could just shoot out a bunch of mana, make a ton of gold dust, then dump it all in. Siiigh...

As I prepared for the Royal Academy, an ordonnanz from Gretia arrived. After searching through the confiscated goods and other available hand-me-downs, she and the others had managed to obtain formal attire for Dirk’s and Bertram’s baptisms, as well as for the apprentice blues.

“They will need to be fitted,” the ordonnanz said. “When can we bring them to the temple?”

“Let us say three days from now,” I replied. “My brewing should end then.”

“Five, then. To give you time to rest.”

The ordonnanz repeated its message twice more—and with that, the date was arranged.

On the day of the fittings, it was decided that the blue apprentices would go to Melchior’s room to select their favored clothes; a delivery from the archduke had recently arrived. There were plenty of outfits to consider: for the Feast of Beginnings, the children’s playroom, the Royal Academy, riding, brewing... The list went on.

“We shall sort out Dirk’s and Bertram’s clothes in the orphanage,” I said, then took Gretia and my attendants with me to the first floor, where one could find the large rooms for the pre-baptismal children.

Our two future nobles needed outfits for their baptisms and the playroom. Gretia busily fitted them with clothes, which she then placed into separate baskets.

“I can’t believe we’re getting clothes this pretty...” Dirk said, barely containing his amazement. He had only ever worn clothes that weren’t robes when going to the forest.

Bertram grimaced in contrast. “I don’t know... They look too old and cheap for a baptism.” Just a year ago, he had enjoyed a more opulent lifestyle as the son of Giebe Wiltord, so the garments did not come close to meeting his standards.

“My my... They are more than the child of a criminal would ever deserve,” Gretia sneered. “If you dislike them that much, then you should have bought your own. It would have saved me the trouble of finding these for you.”

“What?!”

Bertram spun around in shock and was met with Gretia’s cold smile. Her blue-green eyes, which were normally hidden by her bangs, were overflowing with scorn.

“It seems you do not understand your place,” she said, her tone merciless. “Aub Ehrenfest did not save the children of criminals out of compassion or kindness. His motivation was to increase the duchy’s noble population. If you give him reason to believe you might cause trouble, he will have you executed on the spot. Why should he allow you to live if you will only add to the conflict?”

Bertram went white as a sheet. He must never have heard anyone say that kind of thing in the temple.

Ignoring the boy’s anguish, Gretia continued, “It was not at all easy to save you from the long-standing tradition of punishing entire families for the crimes of one member. You have been blessed with a phenomenal opportunity—and if you cannot grasp that, then you truly must be a troublemaker. Laurenz, would it not be best to eliminate him before he can be allowed to rejoin the outside world?”

“Gretia,” I interjected almost on instinct, “you’re going too far.”

She smiled at me, her eyes narrowed. “This fool does not understand that more lives than he could count on his hands rest on his words and deeds—which means his brother, Laurenz, has not educated him properly. If you would spare even a dangerous troublemaker simply because he is a child, then we must at the very least beat the reality of his situation into him. Spoiling brats is not a kindness, Lady Rozemyne. At this rate, his stupid actions will claim the lives of all those saved from the sins of their families. Dirk will receive the same punishment, since he is being baptized with the aub as his guardian alongside them.”

We had saved the children once, but that didn’t mean they were immune from punishment. Plus, because they had entered the orphanage, any misdeeds they committed would cause all of the orphans to be marked as dangerous; the nobles would not distinguish between those who had come last year and those who had always been there. Both the name-sworn nobles and the apprentice blues working hard would receive the same treatment. In the worst-case scenario, the entire temple would once again be scorned as people assumed it was harboring criminals.

Having made her point clear, Gretia asked, “That is not what you want, is it, Lady Rozemyne?”

I shook my head.

“As I suspected,” she said. “I shall accompany Dirk for his baptism, while one of Lord Melchior’s attendants will accompany Bertram for his. The aub is preparing their rings.”

“You would do that in spite of everything? I thank you ever so much, Gretia.”

She gave a slight smile. “The clothes for their baptisms will remain here. The rest I shall take to the playroom in the castle, same as last year.” Then, with the baskets in hand, she went on her way.

Laurenz gave his brother, who was looking despondent, a light rap on the head. “Bertram. Gretia might have been harsh, but she was right—moving to the castle is going to be a wake-up call, whether you like it or not. You can’t expect the same kindness you receive in the orphanage.”

From there, Dirk and Bertram chose their rooms in the noble section and the furniture that would go inside them. They would select attendants next spring. Konrad wanted to spend a bit more time in the orphanage as an apprentice gray priest; then, once he had grown and developed enough mana to perform religious ceremonies, he would receive a room as an apprentice blue.

Dirk and Bertram gave test blessings with a ring I’d allowed them to borrow, practiced the harspiel in preparation for their debut, and worked to memorize the steps of the baptism alongside some noble etiquette.

The autumn coming-of-age ceremony came and went in the blink of an eye, as did the winter baptism. By the time the commoner ceremonies had ended, most nobles had arrived at the Noble’s Quarter. My retinue moved to the castle as well in preparation for winter socializing. The debuts and baptisms of the noble children would accompany the feast.

On the day in question, in my room at the castle, Ottilie and Lieseleta began helping me change into my ceremonial robes. Gretia had gone to the temple to fetch both Dirk and the children’s harspiels from the orphanage.

“These ceremonial clothes are to be taken to the Royal Academy once today’s ceremony is complete, correct?” Ottilie asked.

“Correct,” I replied. “Aub Klassenberg contacted Sylvester—Dedication Rituals are going to be held at the very start of the term.”

Because we wanted to borrow divine instruments from the Sovereign temple, we couldn’t hold our ceremony at the same time as theirs. Performing it earlier was better for the third-years; although a single ceremony was unlikely to have much of an impact, they would appreciate any opportunities to obtain more divine protections. Thus, a discussion with the Sovereign temple and the Royal Academy’s professors had concluded with an agreement that the students’ Dedication Rituals would take place shortly after their return to the Academy. They would participate in three separate waves: the laynobles, then the mednobles, then the archnobles.

“My circumstances are being ignored,” I said. “What do you think about that, Lieseleta?”

“The Sovereignty and top-ranking duchies always force their will upon those who are beneath them,” she replied. “However, Lord Wilfried convinced the aub to let him lead the mednoble ceremony and Charlotte the laynoble one, to ease your burden.”

“That is very helpful.”

Preparing for the ritual and going through the necessary meetings would take up a lot of my time, so unless I managed to blast through my classes, I wouldn’t be able to return for Ehrenfest’s Dedication Ritual.

“And to make things easier for the students, the aub negotiated for the blue priests who accompanied you during the Archduke Conference to be allowed to visit the Royal Academy. If nothing else, you can expect to have more than enough guards until the end of the Royal Academy’s Dedication Rituals. Most heartening.”

In other words, Hartmut, Cornelius, Damuel, Leonore, and Angelica were all permitted to visit the Royal Academy until the Dedication Rituals were over.

“As much as that helps me, I am sure it will inconvenience everyone else,” I said, making my disapproval clear. “This sudden arrangement means they must now scramble to prepare for the Royal Academy. Their plans for winter socializing are surely in tatters, especially when they were going to use my absence to get ready for our move to the Sovereignty.”

Ottilie consoled me with a wry smile. “Lady Rozemyne, there is no need to be frustrated. One of them was quite overjoyed about the opportunity to accompany you.”

“That goes without saying...”

Once I was changed, an ordonnanz from Gretia arrived: Dirk, Bertram, and the other blue apprentices were now at the castle.

“Welcome, new children of Ehrenfest!” Hartmut declared, standing beside me atop the stage.

The door was thrown open, and in came a line of children due to become nobles—including Dirk and Bertram, who were at the very end. They numbered twelve in total, and six of them were also going to be baptized today.

Hartmut read from the bible, then began the mana registration. It was customary to go in order of status, from lowest to highest, so Dirk was called over first. He looked tense as he approached.

The events that followed were quite ordinary: I presented the mana-checking tool for him to hold, he did as instructed and made it shine, then the audience applauded.

I smiled at Dirk, who let out a quiet, relieved sigh, then took a medal. He stamped it with the tool, thereby registering himself.

Wait, what?

Even though he had registered his mana, the colors had barely changed. They were faint, which made it hard to tell whether he had them all or none at all. The most I could really deduce was that the Wind element was most prominent.

What is one supposed to do at a time like this?

I instinctively turned to look at Ferdinand, only to make eye contact with Hartmut. It was kind of awkward, but he didn’t seem to notice my reaction; he merely approached and peered down at the medal.

“He appears to have the divine protection of Wind...” Hartmut muttered, stating what I already knew. He looked just as confused as I was feeling.

I guess he doesn’t know what’s happening either.

No amount of contemplating would give me an answer, so I turned back to Dirk and smiled. “One god has granted you her divine protection: Wind. If you dedicate yourself to becoming worthy of this protection, you will surely receive many more blessings.”

That unusual development aside, Dirk’s mana registration was complete. Hartmut put the medal into a box, then Sylvester took the stage with a ring in hand.

The audience stirred. “That boy must be a child of the former Veronica faction,” some whispered. “That child escaped punishment,” said others. In an instant, it was clear that Gretia had spoken the truth.

Ignoring the buzz, Sylvester presented the ring to Dirk. “I grant this ring to you, Dirk, now that you have been accepted by the gods and the people. I shall become your guardian in place of your parents, and your status will henceforth depend not on your house but on your mana quantity. We witness the birth of a new mednoble. Congratulations.”

“I am grateful from the bottom of my heart, Aub Ehrenfest,” Dirk replied, wearing a smile that betrayed not the slightest hint of anxiety. He gazed down at the red feystone adorning his newly acquired ring, which sat on his left third finger.

“May Geduldh the Goddess of Earth bless you, Dirk,” I said, granting him a blessing.

Dirk returned it, as we had practiced. The light floated through the air before reaching me.

The audience applauded again, though more hesitantly this time. It was the first time I’d experienced such blatant rejection during somebody’s baptism. Unease sprouted in my chest... but we had to move along.

“Bertram,” I said.

The second of our two orphans came onstage to register his mana, having to endure the harsh glares of the gathered nobles, who were carefully searching for the slightest mistake or revealing step. His medal changed color normally.

My thoughts returned to Dirk; there had to be a reason for his unusual medal. I would also be considered one with the Devouring, but that hadn’t happened during my baptism. Then again... maybe I was the weird one. My mana had come out omni-elemental, boasting every single color.

“Two gods have granted you their divine protection: Water and Fire,” I said. “If you dedicate yourself to becoming worthy of this protection, you will surely receive many more blessings.”

Again, Sylvester approached with a ring. This one had a blue feystone; Bertram had presumably been born during the summer.

“I grant this ring to you, Bertram, now that you have been accepted by the gods and the people. I shall become your guardian in place of your parents, and your status will henceforth depend not on your house but on your mana quantity. We witness the birth of a new mednoble. Congratulations.”

“I am grateful from the bottom of my heart, Aub Ehrenfest,” Bertram replied, kneeling with both arms outstretched. Sylvester must have recognized the gesture, as he bent down slightly and gave the boy his hand. Bertram respectfully clasped it, then pressed the back against his forehead.

A hush fell over the room as everyone took in the sight: atop the stage, Bertram was giving the greatest display of gratitude a noble could make.

After that, the rest of the children were baptized, and the debuts began. The laynobles played their harspiels first, then it was time for Dirk, Bertram, and the other mednobles. Dirk played relatively well, considering how little time he’d had to practice. Bertram, meanwhile, was exceptional—a clear indication that he had received a proper upbringing as the son of a former noble.

Once the debuts were complete, Hartmut made a few closing remarks as the High Priest before we both took our leave. I needed to change out of my ceremonial robes and into my socializing clothes. The gifting ceremony for the new students took place; then I ate lunch with the archducal family in the dining hall and returned to the grand hall to socialize.

During the usual greetings, I was asked again and again whether I was moving to the Sovereign temple. As my escort, Wilfried was tasked with denying the rumors and shooing the curious nobles away.

From there, I went around speaking to the children of the former Veronica faction, wishing them well at the Royal Academy. In the process, I noticed a few nobles aggressively devouring their food. It was strange; I might have expected that a few years ago, when the food was new, but most people saw it as commonplace these days.

Weirdos...

Hartmut must have noticed my staring because he quietly said, “Those are presumably the nobles who were ordered to return home from the Sovereignty. The plan is for you to meet them in a more relaxed environment when you return midway through winter. There is no need to speak with them now, in the presence of such a large audience.”

“Lady Rozemyne,” Dirk called.

I turned to see him with Bertram, Gretia, and several people I recognized from the temple. They were socializing with the apprentice blues at their center. Meanwhile, Nikolaus and the other soon-to-be first-years had put on the duchy capes and brooches they had just received.

“Dirk, don’t act so close to Lady Rozemyne at public events,” Bertram said, tugging him away by the arm and teaching him about noble society. “We should wait until she addresses us.”

Dirk immediately apologized to me.

I smiled, then focused on Bertram. “Your performance earlier was excellent. And your display of gratitude to the aub actually silenced the nobles, if only for a moment.”

Bertram faltered, then sheepishly looked away. He was nothing like his elder brother. Laurenz would have turned my compliment into a joke by asking whether he should kneel before me as well.

“Bertram,” I said, “I must ask you to join Gretia in watching over Dirk, to ensure he does not make any serious mistakes.”

He grimaced. “Lady Rozemyne, I mean no disrespect, but that is asking too much of me.” It was true that keeping an eye on Dirk—a boy from the orphanage who knew so little about noble society—would not be easy in the slightest, but Bertram had really taken to the role of teacher. It was nice to see them getting along somewhat better than before.

“Bertram seems to be doing well, doesn’t he, Gretia?”

“I would not act so relieved yet,” she replied. Her tone and the look she was giving the children conveyed the severity of their situation.