Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.9 - Chapter 10

Lunch Meeting

Lasfam returned to the estate by carriage and announced that we were to take lunch in the castle. Lieseleta had already known—she had received advance notice via an ordonnanz—so the seamstresses had already taken their leave, and everything was ready for our departure. Hannelore and I climbed into our carriage with our respective guard knights.

“So, how should we convince Lord Ferdinand to agree to this political marriage?” Hannelore asked with a straight face. “My knowledge of the man comes entirely from the tales Heisshitze and the others have told me, so no ideas come to mind. Would demanding some proposal challenges from Lord Ferdinand and completing them not work?”

The last thing I wanted was to go all Clarissa on Ferdinand. I doubted that such an approach would even work on him; he would surely smirk and refuse to give me any challenges at all. Rather than try to bully him into a marriage he would never, ever want, I was resolved to secure him a laboratory in Ehrenfest, his Geduldh.

I’ll need to consult him about it before these loons descend on him.

If anyone was going to take action, it was going to be at lunch, when the archducal couple was expected to be in attendance. I needed to leak Hannelore’s scheme to Ferdinand and then work with him to devise unbeatable countermeasures; otherwise, he was going to be pushed into a second political marriage by the same people who had brought about his first. Hannelore must already have forgotten my remark that she and her duchy should stay in their lane.

But fear not, Ferdinand! You can count on me to fight your corner!

“Leonore, send word to Ferdinand,” I said. “I wish to speak with him before lunch.” It was a request one would normally make of one’s attendants, but for reasons of status, Lieseleta wasn’t with me.

“As you will,” Leonore replied. “But is this not too sudden?”

“If you tell him the circumstances are dire, I am sure he will make time for me.”

As much as he frowned and shook his head about it, Ferdinand always made time to listen to whatever was bothering me and help me work through it. This particular disaster risked changing both of our lives, so I doubted he would mind me sharing this intelligence with him.

“FERDINAND!”

He had made time for me—as expected—and prepared a room close to the dining hall where our lunch meeting was being held. I’d arrived to find not only him and his retinue but also my male retainers and Clarissa, who was advising on how to host our guests.

“So, Rozemyne—what are these ‘dire circumstances’?” Ferdinand asked, his brow knit in its usual tight frown. “Dare I ask what you have done this time?”

“It wasn’t me—I mean, it wasn’t something I did—but this really is serious, and you’re going to be forced into a political—”

“Calm down. You are far too energetic. And you look rather unwell...”

Ferdinand reached out to check my temperature, but I grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight. “At this rate, you might be forced to marry me! Run! RUN AWAYYY!”

“I do not understand a word of what you are telling me. Explain everything that led to your coming here—but not before I activate a sound-blocker. I imagine this is not something to be discussed openly.”

Ferdinand grimaced and waved his free hand, prompting Hartmut to activate an area-wide sound-blocker. Justus, having finished preparing tea, then instructed the gathered retainers to step outside the sound-blocker’s radius. The fact we were using this magic tool showed just how considerate my retainers were; they knew I wasn’t in any state to hold a feystone.

“Now... why the melancholic smile?” Ferdinand asked.

“I am sad to have troubled my retainers... but also touched that they would do so much for me.”

“I see. They surely want the burden on you to be as light as can be, so make your explanation quick, if you would.”

I watched my retainers have their own conversations out of the corner of my eye as I explained the events of the fitting. First, I went into Hannelore and the others’ misunderstanding that I was in love with him and the immense amount of support they had thrown behind the idea. Then I dropped the bomb—their conclusion that we should enter a political marriage.

“I told them my true desires,” I said. “But when I mentioned that I didn’t want any unnecessary burdens, Lady Hannelore and my retainers all started insisting we get married. They changed their stances in a heartbeat. It doesn’t make any sense whatsoever, does it?”

“No, it makes perfect sense, if you ask me. They foresaw the disaster that would come from you having unchecked power and decided you would need someone to control it for you.”

Rather than openly agreeing with me, Ferdinand seemed exhausted. He noted that I was the only one who didn’t understand the situation and then launched into a lecture, glaring at me all the while.

“Their exasperation about your library scheme must have contributed, but even putting that aside, every single person who heard your remarks deduced that they were dangerous. Do you not know why the country gates were placed outside the borders—why teleporters to the Royal Academy all connect to their respective duchies’ dormitories? Is it not clear why their activation requires the aub, or why they can only transport a few people at once despite how many students need to use it each year?”

“Umm...”

“If you had stopped to think for even a moment, you would have realized that a Zent adding teleporters to libraries and placing them wherever she pleased would absolutely devastate duchy security. Even if you had the best intentions, someone would eventually decide to exploit every weakness you created. It should come as no surprise that an archduke candidate from Dunkelfelger—especially one learned in her duchy’s long history—would start to be wary. Fool.”

I’d assumed Ferdinand was exhausted because I was so clearly in the right that discussing the matter was a waste of time, but I couldn’t have been more mistaken. His scolding came so suddenly that the most I could do was blurt out random excuses.

“I was just listing my desires as they came to me... It wasn’t like I expected them to come true. My main focus was distracting everyone from thinking I was in love with you.”

“Did you not declare that marrying Prince Sigiswald would make your goal easy to achieve? Even if you said it without thinking—as you are wont to do—Lady Hannelore immediately understood the risk of your ‘dreams’ coming true. The teleportation circles aside, I am sure her mind wandered to all the other bizarre claims you decided to make ‘as they came to you.’”

I managed only a small peep in response. Not thinking things through had produced truly dire consequences in the past.

“Oh, the agony... I cultivated the ideal reputation for you—a perfect archduke candidate shrouded in the divinity of sainthood—and you cast it all aside for the most foolish reasons. I cannot say I ever expected my hard work to evaporate quite like this. Were all those reminders during the feast not enough for you to know the importance of maintaining appearances?”

“Ngh... It came up so regularly that I started to drown it out. You can only hear the same warning so many times before it starts to wear on you.”

“I would call you a fool, but the word no longer feels strong enough...” Ferdinand muttered. He sounded as bitter as ever, but was this really the time to bemoan the subtleties of an insult? Surely our battle plan was what mattered most right now.

“My reputation aside,” I said, “unless we take action before Lady Hannelore and the others begin their rampage, I suspect you will again be dragged away from your Geduldh. I can try to convince Sylvester to build you a laboratory here in Ehrenfest, so let us start planning now—ow ow owww!”

“You have brought me such excellent intelligence,” Ferdinand said. He had pinched my cheek and pulled to stop me from speaking. “For that, I thank you.”

“You sure don’t seem thankful...” I shot back, rubbing my aching cheek and glaring at him.

Ferdinand cast a glance at the door, so I did the same. Angelica, whom I’d stationed outside the room, was poking her head in to get our attention.

“It must be lunchtime,” Ferdinand remarked.

“Listen to me, Ferdinand... You have devoted so much of your life to that promise you made. Going forward, I ask that you focus on your own dreams. No matter what Sylvester, Lady Hannelore, or anyone else says, do not surrender. Do everything in your power to secure the future you desire.” I clenched my fist, wanting to hammer home my determination and support. If we could survive this lunch, the Dunkelfelgerians would return home.

Ferdinand stood up and extended a hand to me. “Fear not—I do not start fights I cannot win.” Spread across his lips was the same smile he always wore when devising evil schemes, and at once, I was convinced that I could leave things in his hands. It warmed my heart to see him so motivated.

I was exceptionally wary of everything Hannelore said and did, but our lunch meeting was going smoothly nonetheless. She had rejoiced over the especially elaborate dishes our duchy’s chefs had served, and the other Dunkelfelgerians seemed satisfied as well.

One topic of conversation that dominated our meal together was how thoroughly Dunkelfelger’s knights had crushed Ehrenfest while sparring. Wilfried spoke at length about the immense strength he had witnessed, having been smacked down with the rest of his peers.

So he took part as well, huh?

From there, we discussed what we were going to do when lunch was over. I wanted to check on the temple, whereas Hannelore had arranged to have tea with Florencia, Wilfried, and Charlotte.

“It would have been nice to tour Ehrenfest’s famed temple and see what makes it stand out from all the others in Yurgenschmidt... but given the lack of time, I suppose there is nothing we can do,” Hannelore said, her voice tinged with regret. If she had been able to use her highbeast, she would have had just enough time to visit before she needed to return home. But by carriage, she had no chance at all.

“I would have liked to show you around, had that been an option...” I replied.

It was unfortunate, but there was no point trying to force the issue; Ferdinand had already told us there wouldn’t be enough time, and Melchior, who had spent his entire morning vigorously removing traps, was adamant that it still wasn’t safe to welcome guests.

“Uncle, are you going to the temple with Rozemyne and Melchior?” Wilfried asked.

“Yes, that is my intention. I must ensure that Rozemyne returns to the castle in time—and as some of my former attendants are in the temple, I do not foresee any issues with my being there.”

“Dunkelfelger’s knights were calling for you to train with them. I worry this will mean leaving them empty-handed...”

Ferdinand glanced at Sylvester and smiled. “I am told the aub has not had much time to express his appreciation, despite that being the reason our guests came here in the first place. Would this not be an excellent opportunity to remedy that?”

“As thoughtful as always,” Sylvester replied, his smile twitching ever so slightly. We finished our food not long after, and our post-meal tea was brought in.

“Speaking of which, Aub Ehrenfest—what is the status of the Sovereignty? We have received no updates whatsoever, so I wondered if you knew anything.”

It made sense that we were starved for information. I’d set out in the dead of the night, fought until sunrise, slept for two days after taking Ahrensbach’s foundation, and made my return to Ehrenfest while unable to use the magic tool meant for contacting the Sovereignty.

Hannelore turned to Sylvester, no doubt curious as well. “My father was still in Dunkelfelger when I sent word that we were bringing our knights to Ehrenfest.”

“My understanding of the Sovereignty’s situation is about as limited as yours,” Sylvester replied. “To my knowledge, it was two days ago when Hartmut and Clarissa’s letter arrived there through the Royal Academy’s knights.”

Sylvester had informed the royal family that we had rescued Ferdinand and that we were engaged in a large-scale battle with Lanzenave. It hadn’t been particularly urgent news, so he hadn’t used a more direct means of communication.

“And the royal family’s response?” I asked.

“The Sovereign Knight’s Order reinforced their guard, but no one from Ahrensbach or Lanzenave came. In the end, they asked us when the enemy was due to arrive, whether the Sovereignty was being targeted in the first place, and when it would be best to contact Dunkelfelger.”

That lackadaisical response had arrived yesterday morning when we were busy defending our duchy’s foundation. Sylvester had neglected to send anything back, since it hadn’t been all that high on our list of priorities at the time. I understood the feeling all too well.

“How was I meant to know any of that, anyway?” Sylvester continued. “Since the Sovereignty doesn’t seem to be in danger, I figured it could wait for when you got back. Do you have any answers for them?”

“If our enemies are seeking the Grutrissheit, then Detlinde’s group should be not in the Sovereignty proper where the royal palace is located but in the Royal Academy...” Ferdinand replied dryly.

Sylvester’s expression changed. “Send word at once,” he said, rising to his feet, but Ferdinand raised a hand to stop him.

“Be at ease. Those of the royal family are safest tucked away in their Sovereign villas. As long as the invaders do not obtain the Grutrissheit, that arrangement will produce the fewest casualties.”

Though he was being indirect, I understood Ferdinand loud and clear: “Don’t cause trouble by saying things better left unsaid.” He gestured to Justus and stood up.

“Get in touch with Professor Hirschur and gather information about the Royal Academy’s current status. Ahrensbach is in a unique position—its dormitory is closed, and it remains without a dormitory supervisor, as a replacement will not be assigned until the Archduke Conference. I would advise that you also send word to Dunkelfelger. Update them on the royal family’s situation and arrange for Professor Rauffen to search the Royal Academy.”

The Sovereignty was quiet, which meant Detlinde’s group must have been up to something at the Royal Academy. Perhaps they were circling the shrines and praying in order to secure the Grutrissheit.

“Rozemyne, Melchior... We do not have much time,” Ferdinand said. “Let us depart for the temple at once.”

Melchior and I stood, and our retainers sprang into action.

“We don’t have much time?” I echoed. “I’m not sure I understand. Shouldn’t we be heading to the Royal Academy?”

“The dormitory supervisors have yet to contact us, and it is unlikely that anything will occur at such short notice. And then there are the various preparations that will need to be made before our departure. More than any of that, though, have you forgotten that visiting the temple and the lower city was our reason for making this trip in the first place? The royal family can wait.”

At once, my thoughts turned to those still at the Royal Academy.

Raimund and Professor Hirschur rarely leave their lab, so I can’t imagine they’ll cross paths with Lady Detlinde’s group. If our enemies want the Grutrissheit, where would they be most likely to go...?

I was about to leave the room when I stopped in my tracks and turned around. “Sylvester, please confirm that Professor Solange is safe in the Royal Academy’s library. I am concerned about her.”

Sylvester seemed to understand my hidden message and assured me that he would contact Hirschur and Dunkelfelger without delay. Because he knew that the entrance to a duchy’s foundation was in its temple’s book room, it must have been easy for him to deduce that the Royal Academy’s library was important as well.

Everyone moved to the balcony and produced their highbeasts, but I stood rooted to the spot. I couldn’t bear to touch my feystone.

“Ferdinand, I, um...”

“Ride with Angelica.”

“Right... Angelica, if you would.”

I climbed onto my knight’s highbeast, and together we headed to the temple.

Oh, now that I think about it... I wouldn’t be able to survive as an aub or the Zent.

My new fear meant I couldn’t brew, send ordonnanzes, or ride my own highbeast. It was the death knell of any decent noble.

Well, I probably shouldn’t stress about it. I can’t imagine this is the kind of problem that clears up right away.

That said, I would soon be returning to Ahrensbach, and the duchy was in desperate need of an aub. Would I really be able to meet everyone’s expectations? My fingertips went cold as a deep sense of unease started to spread through me.