Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.9 - Chapter 13

To Ahrensbach

We returned to the castle to find our guests from Dunkelfelger all wearing bright smiles and Sylvester’s group looking especially conflicted. I suspected that a harsh scolding was on the horizon, but I stated my resolve nonetheless.

“Sylvester, I have decided to become the next Aub Ahrensbach.”

“I know.”

Umm... How?

I’d made up my mind on the trip here and elected to make this my first reveal, aware that Sylvester would feel the brunt of my absence greater than anyone. How, then, was he already aware of my intentions? It didn’t make any sense.

“What do you mean?” I asked. “You understand the consequences of my move to Ahrensbach, correct? Ehrenfest will—”

“Of course he knows, Lady Rozemyne,” Hannelore interjected. “But even then, the magnanimous Aub Ehrenfest granted you his permission.”

Ah...

Hannelore’s and Heisshitze’s smiles, the distant look in Sylvester’s eyes... The pieces all suddenly snapped together. Ehrenfest had thus far remained passive in its diplomacy with greater duchies, but our archducal family must not have stood a chance against Dunkelfelger once they’d sat across from each other at the negotiating table.

Sylvester cleared his throat. “It would be utterly ridiculous to permit you to steal Ahrensbach’s foundation and then prevent you from becoming its aub!” His voice sounded especially coarse like he was trying to emulate Heisshitze. “Moreover, I must recognize that a Zent candidate with the Grutrissheit ranks even higher than the current royal family! Apparently...”

I was starting to worry whether this really was okay. Hannelore had given me her support, at least, so I supposed that her duchy was right behind me. Probably.

“If you intend to return the Grutrissheit to Yurgenschmidt,” Sylvester continued, “you’re fated to leave Ehrenfest anyway. Ahrensbach or the Sovereignty—no matter which one you choose, I’m told the movement of your luggage and personnel will remain largely unchanged.”

“Indeed,” Hartmut added, looking especially enthusiastic. “We will need to move quite a few gray priests and shrine maidens to Ahrensbach’s temple, but that should not impact Ehrenfest’s overall mana as taking blues would. Their successors can be trained up from there.”

Hartmut was about to launch into a long speech, no doubt wanting to announce that everything was ready for my departure, but Sylvester shook his head. “I am well aware of the situation,” he muttered, looking exhausted.

“I am so pleased we are in agreement, Aub Ehrenfest,” Hannelore said with the satisfied smile of a victor. She then shot a glance at her retainers, who were patting themselves on the back.

“Sylvester... I really am sorry this came at such an inconvenient time,” I said, suddenly struck with the urge to apologize to him from the bottom of my heart. “I did not know things would turn out like this when I was leaving for the temple...”

He waved away my words like he was shooing a bothersome pest. “There’s no need for that. Ferdinand agreed to negotiate with the royal family on Ehrenfest’s behalf and intends to return to Ahrensbach with you in preparation. How could I refuse him? Besides, with Georgine gone, my only real burdens are the royals and you. There’s a lot I want to say about how these dramatic twists and turns are always throwing me for a loop... but that’ll cease to be a problem by the end of the next Archduke Conference. I can hold my tongue until the dust has settled.”

“Did you not ask me to stop fixating on Ehrenfest and find happiness in Ahrensbach?” Ferdinand asked, a grin playing on his lips. “I simply mean to live as you requested, dear brother of mine.”

Sylvester’s cheek twitched. “You’re always pulling stunts like this...” he grumbled, his expression a mix of exasperation and joy.

As I watched the two brothers’ back-and-forth, I started to wonder whether they’d forgotten about our guests. This was how they normally acted when they were alone together.

“Do whatever you want,” Sylvester concluded.

“But Sylvester,” I said, “what about Ferdinand’s Geduldh?”

“You mean those labs you’re making for him, right? I’m glad one of us gets to have some fun, at least.”

Sylvester was making a huge mistake; Ferdinand only wanted a lab in Ahrensbach as a last resort. His true desire was to have one here in Ehrenfest, but that idea had already been rejected.

“Those laboratories aren’t his Geduldh,” I said. “Ehrenfest is. That’s why I think you should make him a lab here—so he can return home whenever he wants.”

“We don’t have the time or resources for that. If you promised him a lab, then you can provide it. The rest of us need to sort out the Gerlach estate you destroyed. Ferdinand told me he messed with its foundation so much that we’ll need to remake the whole thing from scratch.”

“Gaaah! My sincerest apologies!” I cried, my head in my hands. “I’ll send you the gold dust for it right away!”

“You would do well not to make promises you cannot keep...” Ferdinand noted, his eyes fixed on our guests.

“Ah...”

He was right—I might have had enough mana to create the dust, but I wasn’t going to make any headway with my fear of touching feystones. I slumped my shoulders, having once again been reminded how useless I was at the moment.

“You need not rush to repay him,” Ferdinand said and gave me a light pat on the shoulder. “Once we are back in Ahrensbach, we shall send aid and monetary assistance under the guise of reparations. Furthermore, though you seem adamant to return me to Ehrenfest, Sylvester no longer needs me to complete his duties as the aub. He is doing well enough on his own. As long as I am permitted to come home on occasion, I am perfectly fine with this arrangement.”

“I’m not so cold as to refuse you,” Sylvester retorted. “I’ll take care of your estate.” They were speaking like everything was already set in stone.

“Ferdinand...” I said. “Are you sure you want to live in Ahrensbach? You aren’t doing this as a self-sacrifice, are you?”

He shook his head. “Need you be so annoyingly stubborn? I am more than capable of making my own decisions.”

“Seems he’s actually focused on his own happiness for once,” Sylvester chimed in. “You’re giving him three labs, right? That sounds like payment enough. Just let him do what he wants.”

I squeezed my hands into tight fists. “Very well. In that case, as the next Aub Ahrensbach, I shall create an environment in which he can do as much research as he desires. Rest assured, Sylvester—I will ensure his happiness!”

Sylvester burst into laughter while Karstedt, who was standing as his guard, merely coughed a few times in a poor attempt to mask his amusement. Hannelore was staring at me like she wanted to shout, “So close!”

Ferdinand seized my shoulder in a viselike grip. “Rozemyne, I understand your motivations and resolve. There is no need to say any more.”

“Ferdinand, have your ears gone re—?”

“Be silent.”

“Okay.”

Rihyarda then came to report that the teleportation circle was ready and the border gate had been contacted. Ottilie and Gretia were among those who entered with her, as were Leonore and the others, who had made their preparations while not on duty.

“The scholars wish to send over everyone’s belongings,” Rihyarda continued. “Travel to the border gate to accept them, if you would.”

“Alright.” Sylvester nodded, then went out to the balcony and made his highbeast. “Let’s go.”

We were headed to the teleporter at the knights’ training grounds. The necessary arrangements must have already been made, as even the Dunkelfelgerians had mobilized without the slightest hesitation. I must have been more out of the loop than anyone.

“Ferdinand,” I said, “you’ve been keeping me in the dark, haven’t you? It feels like I’m the only one who doesn’t know what we’re doing.”

“I will elaborate on my highbeast. Hurry.”

I did as instructed, and we took to the sky. Ferdinand explained curtly and in a quiet voice that he had proposed this method of transportation over using my Pandabus to disguise my fear of using feystones.

“We will use the teleporters meant for taxed goods to send your luggage to the border gate,” he continued. “Then we will move it all to Ahrensbach’s castle. Ehrenfest’s side of the border gate has already been made aware, and it seems safe to assume that the same is true for Ahrensbach’s side.”

“How come these teleporters aren’t used when someone marries into another duchy?” I asked. “They seem so convenient.” My mind wandered to all the luggage we’d crammed into Lessy back when Ferdinand was moving to Ahrensbach.

“Accepting such items from another duchy would pose too great a security risk, so an aub would never allow them to be teleported straight to the castle. However, as you are the new Aub Ahrensbach, this is merely a convenient way to send your luggage back to your new home. There is nothing to be on guard against. Aside from that... there is also the mana cost to consider. You are supplying it on this occasion.”

It took longer to send items by carriage, but they were by and large the more affordable option. We were electing to use the teleportation circles this time only because I would need my luggage immediately upon my return. My clothes for tomorrow wouldn’t arrive in time if sent by carriage.

“You will not be in Ahrensbach for long,” Ferdinand continued. “We will make the bible in my workshop there, then prepare for the duchy’s remaining nobles to participate in the Archduke Conference. Your move proper and the arrangements for your becoming the aub will need to wait until you have received the king’s approval.”

Our top priority was making the magic tool Grutrissheit so that we could negotiate with the royal family.

We arrived at the knights’ training grounds and used its huge teleporter to move to the border gate between Ehrenfest and Ahrensbach. It had relieved me to learn that my fear of feystones didn’t include channeling mana into magic circles.

Knights of both Ehrenfest and Ahrensbach were already at the gate when we arrived, and my luggage was moved between the two duchies’ teleporters. Lieseleta and Gretia were leading a group who were checking the labels and such.

“Rozemyne,” Ferdinand said, “we will need to use these teleporters quite regularly for the rest of the day. If you need a rejuvenation potion, drink one now while you have the chance.”

We were going to send Justus, my attendants, and my scholars to Ahrensbach’s castle with my belongings. Ferdinand and I would take the guard knights back to the border gate and teleport to Bindewald with the volunteers, who would then make their way to the gate connecting Ahrensbach to Dunkelfelger.

“I do not know how many times we will need to activate the teleporter to move all one hundred knights,” Ferdinand said.

“Are you sure we should not simply return home by highbeast...?” Hannelore asked, sounding concerned, but Ferdinand shook his head. It had taken them an entire day to reach Bindewald, so who knew how long they would need to travel to reach Dunkelfelger, which was all the way on the other side of Ahrensbach.

“Place a teleporter here and start preparing to teleport everyone,” Ferdinand instructed me. By the time I was done, we had made contact with Sergius in Ahrensbach’s castle and Strahl in the Bindewald estate.

“Nenluessel. Ahrensbach.”

I’d made sure that Justus, Lieseleta, Gretia, Hartmut, and Clarissa were all standing on the teleporter with me before activating it—with some help from Ferdinand, of course. They would spend their time at the castle putting my belongings away and preparing my room, among other things.

Letizia came to welcome us when we arrived, so I entrusted my retainers to her. Then I activated the teleporter again, returning Ferdinand and myself to the border gate.

“Aub Ehrenfest,” I said. “We will send word once the date for our meeting with the royal family has been established.”

“I don’t expect this to work, but I’ll say it anyway—don’t do anything crazy, alright?”

Yeeeah... I’m not sure I can promise that.

I averted my eyes in lieu of a response. Making our own Grutrissheit so that we could negotiate with the royal family was sure to be “crazy” by anyone’s standards.

“Just what are you two planning...?” Sylvester asked, his eyes narrowing.

“I must ask that you make haste in calculating the damages of the recent invasion,” Ferdinand interjected with a smile, completely disregarding the question. “That information should prove most useful during the Archduke Conference.”

Ferdinand must have realized that he was pushing his luck; he started rushing Hannelore and the others to pour mana into the teleporter without even waiting for a response. He ignored Sylvester’s demands for an explanation and told me to hurry up as well.

“Nenluessel. Bindewald.”

In the blink of an eye, we teleported to our destination, having successfully escaped Sylvester. Strahl and the Dunkelfelger knights were all standing in neat rows in anticipation of our arrival.

“Aub Ahrensbach. Lord Ferdinand. Welcome back,” Strahl said, his tone heavy and severe. “We have been waiting for you.”

As it turned out, Dunkelfelger’s knights had devoured all the food and alcohol in the Bindewald summer estate. They had then divided themselves into groups the following morning and set up a ditter tournament. Ahrensbach’s knights had been forced to participate and couldn’t even begin to hide their exhaustion—in stark contrast to their Dunkelfelger peers, who looked as satisfied as ever. It was clear to see which duchy had the most stamina.

“We shall now start teleporting everyone to Dunkelfelger’s border gate,” Ferdinand announced.

“Yes, sir!” the volunteers chorused in response.

At most, only about thirty knights could stand on the teleporter at once. I started teleporting my own guards as well as the knights while Ferdinand received reports about the state of our current province and Old Werkestock. The Bindewald estate had been closed until the end of the Archduke Conference, when a new giebe would surely be assigned to it.

“My apologies for the wait, Lady Hannelore.”

“Oh, no—there is no need to apologize,” she replied. “Especially not when you are going to all this trouble for our sakes.”

Hannelore instructed the remaining knights to move onto the teleporter. Three round trips had made me feel so sick that I wanted nothing more than to rest, but I couldn’t quit now. This was the last one. I rubbed my temples and took a few deep breaths.

“Teleportation sickness?” Ferdinand asked.

“Yes, most likely.”

“Then I will perform this last one with you. Strahl, return to the castle—but leave five guards behind to watch over the estate.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ferdinand then stood atop the teleporter with Eckhart, and the two of them helped to supply it with mana. It wasn’t long before we all appeared at the border gate connecting Ahrensbach to Dunkelfelger. The knights who had arrived ahead of us were waiting in uniform rows.

“Lady Hannelore, we are so greatly indebted to you and your knights,” I said. “How can we ever thank you?”

“My new hairpin alone feels like more than enough,” she replied, then let out a quiet gasp. “Oh, but... I would appreciate a special invitation to the Archduke Conference, seeing as I am too young to attend otherwise. I wish to see you, the Divine Avatar of Mestionora, bestow the Grutrissheit upon the Zent with my very own eyes.”

Um, excuse me? The heck is all this “divine avatar” business? Talk about exaggeration...

My sainthood was swiftly transforming into something else entirely. Hannelore’s calm, bright smile was starting to seem ominous, and something told me Hartmut was to blame.

“Um, Lady Hannelore...” I said.

“Very well,” Ferdinand interrupted. “That sounds like fair compensation for your assistance. I shall broach the idea with your aub and make whatever arrangements are required on my end.”

“I thank you ever so much,” Hannelore replied. “Oh, Lady Rozemyne... Isn’t this exciting?”

Huh? Isn’t what exciting?!

Paying no attention to my confusion, Hannelore turned to her knights and shouted, “Salute the Divine Avatar of Mestionora—she who shall return the Grutrissheit to Yurgenschmidt!”

The knights thumped the left side of their chests twice in perfect union.

“And with that, Lady Rozemyne... may we meet again at the Archduke Conference.”

H-Hold on a second... Just one second...

Before I could even try to stop them, Hannelore and the knights took their leave in an orderly fashion. I could only watch in a daze as their highbeasts vanished into the distance.

“Um, what was all that about...?” I asked Ferdinand. “We’re going to make me the next Aub Ahrensbach, aren’t we? I don’t see why Lady Hannelore thought it necessary to call me a divine avatar, nor why she stated it as though it were fact.”

“Hartmut was insistent that you would end up in serious danger unless we put you on a higher pedestal than the royals. If you wish to know more, then ask him for the details when we return.” He held out his hand to me. “If your teleportation sickness is too much, we can travel the rest of the way by highbeast. We are not too far from the city of Ahrensbach.”

“The only thing making me queasy right now is this unsettling news. Let’s use the teleporter again. I need to interrogate Hartmut at once!”

“Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne, Lord Ferdinand,” Letizia said once we were back at the castle, looking somewhat pale. “A letter from Lady Detlinde arrived in your absence. She seems quite irritated that she is unable to return to Ahrensbach.”

We were handed the letter in question, which I started reading at once.

“What’s all this about the foundation being stolen and a new aub taking over?! I’m on the cusp of seizing the throne! Lords Leonzio and Gervasio are both with me. I swear, this ‘new aub’ will pay the price of their insolence soon enough!”

We already knew we had to arrest Detlinde, one of the driving forces behind this whole incident, but reading her rant almost knocked the wind out of my sails. One had to question how much thought she was putting into her actions, if any.

“Lord Ferdinand, do you know whom she meant by Lord Gervasio?” Letizia asked uneasily. “I visited the Lanzenave Estate on many occasions but never once encountered a man by that name.”

“I think so,” Ferdinand replied, his true emotions hidden behind a fake smile. “As I recall, he was the man raised to become the king of Lanzenave.”