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

Prologue

Gong... Gong...

Inside his canopied wagon, Grausam grimaced at the chimes signaling third bell. Georgine’s boat was due to arrive in Ehrenfest at any moment, but he was running late; Gerlach’s summer estate was just coming into view.

“Lord Bonifatius certainly likes to interfere...” Grausam muttered, recalling the events that had put him behind schedule in the first place. He had stashed several magic tools within the province’s management cabins, which the giebe and their family used during their patrols. But when he had gone to confirm that his tools were still there, he had discovered numerous traps lying in wait. Dismantling them had delayed him, and amid his frustrations, he had theorized who was responsible.

I managed to retrieve some useful traps and hidden magic tools, but now there’s so much pressure on me. Am I going to make it in time?

As for how Bonifatius had known where the cabins were, Grausam knew without a shadow of a doubt that his son Matthias was to blame. He had told the boy about only a few of his hiding spots, and every single one of them had been raided. Moreover, Matthias was the only one who had missed the winter purge due to attending the Royal Academy. Rather than being swiftly executed as a traitor by association, he must have escaped punishment by leaking intelligence to the archduke.

“I will need to be somewhat wary of that...” Grausam added.

Matthias had not been of age at the time of the purge, nor had he sworn his name to Georgine. For those reasons, he hadn’t been told anything important—and as he’d only ever met the woman once, Grausam doubted the boy knew anything of consequence. Under normal circumstances, that would have been enough to assuage his fears, but now Bonifatius was involved. The man had an uncanny talent for discovering the truth through instinct alone, so who knew what he might unveil with Matthias by his side?

“For days, we have kept Lord Bonifatius running around Illgner and Griebel. Now we draw him here. I will not allow him to stand in Lady Georgine’s way.”

As he made his declaration, Grausam retrieved a magic tool from his breast pocket. It was paired with another tool elsewhere and served a very simple purpose: one could use mana to change its color, which would cause its counterpart to change color to match. Grausam had created it from the tools children used to practice channeling their mana, and while its function was limited, it was a fine way of conveying the success of an operation when wrapped in silver cloth and unable to rely on ordonnanzes.

Grausam’s feystone had originally been yellow. Now it was green.

“Lady Georgine met with my contact, then...” Grausam said. The man in question had gained access to the city of Ehrenfest since winter, so it was good to know they were together.

To help her remain undetected, Georgine had elected to travel with no more than two coconspirators: her attendant, Seltier; and a merchant with the Devouring. She was too vulnerable to resist capture, so her signal meant she must not have been detected. Their various ploys had worked, including their decision to employ two ships arriving at third and fourth bell, respectively.

Grausam removed the silver cloth he was wearing and channeled mana into his magic tool, returning its color to yellow. This would convey both that he had received her signal and that he had yet to reach the Gerlach estate.

“Well, now that Lady Georgine has arrived, I suppose I should get to work...”

Arrangements had already been made for knights of Old Werkestock to attack Giebe Gerlach’s estate; they were merely awaiting the arrival of a pre-written confirmation. The giebe would inform the aub that he, like Illgner and Griebel, was under attack, making for the perfect distraction. Ehrenfest wouldn’t expect Georgine to target their foundation through their temple, of all places.

“Hmm... They can follow instructions, at least...”

Grausam watched the knights flying out of the giebe’s estate. Highbeasts took to the sky in short order, each going as fast as their rider could make them. It was only natural that they were in such a hurry—from up above, they would see an army sporting Ahrensbach capes marching straight toward them.

“Take a right,” Grausam instructed his driver—a Devouring soldier bound to him by a submission contract. They were inside a wagon delivering food to the estate, hoping to take advantage of a secret entrance around the back.

So they did assign guards...

Grausam spotted three men stationed near the hidden entrance: a knight and two servants, from the look of things. They had presumably been tasked with checking anyone who approached the back of the estate.

“Stop!” the knight called—entirely as expected. “Your wagon must now be inspected.”

At once, the trio got to work; the knight asked the driver what store he belonged to while the two servants started inspecting their luggage. The knight seemed entirely unaware that there was an army approaching the estate and that his compatriots had just departed. He must not have been able to see them from where he was stationed.

The war started days ago, yet this is the best they can do...?

The new Giebe Gerlach—Grausam’s replacement—evidently knew nothing of warfare. There were plenty of openings to be exploited as a result, but even then, Grausam couldn’t stand the thought of someone looking down on him.

Poison should do the trick.

Grausam couldn’t risk the knight sending out an ordonnanz before he had a chance to attack. He exchanged a look with his driver, then quickly flexed his index finger, spurring the man to pull the string attached to one end of a silver tube. There was a small pop as a cloud of white dust shot into the air.

“Ngh...!”

For a few moments, the knight groaned and grunted, clearly in pain. Then he turned into a feystone.

Grausam’s eyes widened in surprise; to his knowledge, the poison should have worked instantly. Had it taken so long because of the cloth covering the man’s mouth, or had the powder simply dissipated in the outside air? He regretted that he hadn’t had much time to experiment with the poison during his stay at Georgine’s villa in Ahrensbach.

“H-How on...?”

“He vanished into thin air!”

The servants cried out in shock; from their perspective, the knight had simply disappeared. Grausam killed one of them while his driver dispatched the other—an easy enough task, considering their targets were commoners, but now they would need to dispose of the bodies. They couldn’t risk someone discovering them before their attack on the estate was complete.

Commoners are rarely useful.

Turning his attention away from the dead servants, Grausam took the late knight’s feystone in his prosthetic black hand and started to drain it. The man must have drunk a rejuvenation potion in preparation for the coming battle; his stone was practically full of mana.

Grausam continued to empty the feystone until there was no more mana for him to take, then crushed the worthless vessel in his hand. As he brushed away the fragments of stone that clung to his fingers, he turned to his Devouring soldier, who was quietly awaiting his next command.

“You will not be able to pass the barrier beyond this point. Get rid of the corpses, then come back and stay here until you receive further orders.”

Grausam watched the driver move the bodies into the wagon and leave, then went to the hidden entrance with his bag of magic tools and potions. There was a magic barrier not far into said hidden entrance. Under normal circumstances, only the giebe, his blood relatives, and members of the archducal family would be able to enter, but Grausam slipped through using his silver cloth. Suffice to say, Lanzenave’s invention had a variety of useful applications.

Once he’d made it through the barrier, the rest was trivial. Grausam made his way into the giebe’s estate without anyone seeing him.

“No obstacles of note, I see...”

Grausam’s estate would normally have been reconstructed following his removal as Giebe Gerlach, but Aub Ehrenfest must not have had the mana to spare. The layout was exactly the same, which made reaching the estate’s foundation a very simple task.

It was a known fact that only an estate’s giebe could enter the room containing its foundation, but again, Lanzenave’s silver cloth made short work of the problem. Grausam stepped inside, removed the cloth, and started channeling mana into the foundation. He was following the instructions Georgine had given him to reclaim ownership of the estate.

Once the foundation was his again, Grausam made the barrier protecting the estate as strong as it could get. This would prevent anyone but him, his relatives, and the archducal family from entering. The knights, attendants, and servants of Gerlach would have no trouble leaving the estate, but once they were outside the barrier, they wouldn’t be able to pass back through it.

Now we await Lord Bonifatius, who should make his way here upon learning of the assault on Gerlach.

Nobody in the estate posed a threat to Grausam. The knights had all taken to the air, and even when Bonifatius arrived, the barrier would prevent his troops from entering with him. He nodded, satisfied with the great step he had just taken toward victory. Then he took out his communication magic tool and checked its color. The feystone had turned red.

“Hmm... Lady Georgine has infiltrated the temple. I shall inform her of my status in turn.”

He changed the color back to green, indicating that he had gained access to the estate and stolen its foundation.

Now I just need to buy her time by distracting Ehrenfest’s Order.

Keeping his current objectives in mind, Grausam left the room containing his foundation. He used secret paths to traverse the estate, then paused outside an exit connected to the giebe’s office. Snippets of a male voice leaked through the door.

“Reinforcements from... are arriving this afternoon. Gerlach’s knights... endure.”

The voice must have belonged to the new giebe. He had called for—and was evidently expecting to receive—reinforcements of some kind, though Grausam couldn’t make out how many or where they were coming from.

I would assume he means Lord Bonifatius, who must be making his way here from Illgner.

Grausam placed his right hand on the door, which he unlocked with his mana and opened ever so slightly. The new giebe hadn’t even replaced the decoration covering it, from what he could tell; the same tapestry was visible through the crack.

“The knights are putting their all into protecting Gerlach,” the giebe continued, his voice much clearer now. “I want you all to evacuate the servants. I shall remain here and wait patiently.”

“But if we leave you on your own—”

“This room has hidden passages that can be used only by the giebe and their family. It is better that I remain here alone so that I can use them to escape if necessary.”

Grausam heard the patter of hesitant footsteps as the attendants and scholars ordered to evacuate took their leave. They faded into the distance, leaving the room in complete silence.

How many are still inside, I wonder...?

If the giebe was with others, using instant-death poison would prevent them from summoning reinforcements. But if the giebe was alone, Grausam wanted to keep him alive. Letting the man die would cause any ordonnanzes meant for him to fail, which would only arouse suspicion.

Now, which is it?

Grausam held poison in one hand and rope in the other. He was ready to react to either situation... but for now, he waited.

The giebe heaved a heavy sigh. “But when in the afternoon did they mean...? If our reinforcements don’t arrive soon, our knights won’t live to see them...”

A ruling noble would never speak so honestly or show weakness in the presence of others, which meant he must have been alone. Grausam stealthily opened the secret door, and the air that flowed through it caused the tapestry to move.

“Hm?”

A few quiet footfalls revealed the man’s suspicions. He must have been approaching the tapestry—and that was when Grausam struck. He leapt into the room at once, beating down and immediately restraining his target.

“Huh?! Y-You... How did you get there?!” the giebe cried, his eyes wide with terror.

Grausam said nothing in response; he grabbed the man’s jaw, wrenched it open, and poured a potion down his throat.

“Ngh! Gah...!”

Even while restrained, the man flailed about in agony. The potion had eaten away at his throat to the point that he could no longer speak.

“You wish to know how I used the estate’s hidden passageways?” Grausam said at last. “I simply stole its foundation. Good work keeping this place running while I was gone.”

The man was now a giebe in name only. His mouth opened and closed as he tried to speak, but the most that came out was a faint, strained whistle.

Paying his captive no mind, Grausam took out the magic letters he had prepared in advance and sent them on their way. They were addressed to the Werkestock giebes lying in wait in the forest and provided a brief summary of the situation: he had conquered the Gerlach estate and needed them to start draining the province’s mana into their chalices.

This should be enough to lure Lord Bonifatius.

Bonifatius had almost certainly realized that the knights and giebes attacking Illgner and Griebel were mere fodder meant to thin out Ehrenfest’s forces. It was good, then, that he took his duties as an archducal family member so seriously. He would never abandon a province on the verge of collapse, so there was no reason to believe he would ignore Gerlach’s call for aid.

I will need to be cautious, though. He has a tendency to act in the most incomprehensible ways.

According to field reports, Bonifatius had appeared in Illgner within a day of receiving word of the invasion there. He was like an omnipresent specter capable of materializing anywhere at any time. No matter how quickly he moved, however, there was no chance of him making it back to the city of Ehrenfest in time to stop Georgine; he had rushed to Illgner that morning and would surely devote his attention to liberating Gerlach.

I will not allow that nuisance to keep getting in our way.

Grausam clenched the black prosthesis replacing his left hand, which he had ended up losing that accursed winter. He had devoted so much time to making it specifically so that he could take down Bonifatius.

Georgine had driven the previous Aub Ahrensbach up the towering stairway and abused a royal decree to drag Ferdinand away from Ehrenfest. She had used the death of her husband as an excuse to hide away in her villa, securing herself the time and privacy she had needed to execute her plans. But then, on the day she had intended to use the key to the High Bishop’s bible to obtain Ehrenfest’s foundation, Bonifatius had suddenly raided Grausam’s estate. The man’s instincts, initiative, and combat potential made him the most formidable opponent one could ask for.

But he wasn’t the only threat we had to be wary of.

On countless occasions since Georgine had discovered that Ehrenfest’s foundation was hidden within its temple, Grausam and his accomplices had attempted to sneak inside. But with Rozemyne, the archduke’s adopted daughter, as the High Bishop and Ferdinand, another of Grausam’s unbearable adversaries, having returned to the archducal family without giving up his role as the High Priest, this had not been easy by any means. The pair had kept their guard knights with them at all times, and only a select few nobles had received permission to enter the temple.

In the past, gaining access to the High Bishop’s chambers would have been as simple as expressing an interest in flower offerings, but Ferdinand had made them one of his duties as the High Priest. In his words, there was no good reason for a mere child to oversee requests of such an unsavory nature. Even when the printing industry had required scholars to start visiting the temple, Ferdinand and the Leisegangs had gone to great lengths to vet the participating nobles, ensuring that nobody from Grausam’s circles was granted access. To make matters worse, the blue priests living in the temple had needed to get the High Priest’s approval for everything. There really hadn’t been any openings to exploit.

There is still time, however.

Ehrenfest must not have noticed that the key to the bible would open the way to their duchy’s foundation. If they had, they would never have made a commoner child their High Bishop. Thus, Grausam’s group had waited for a moment when both Rozemyne and Ferdinand were absent from the temple. Then they had infiltrated the temple, replaced the High Bishop’s bible and its key with duplicates to keep their theft from being noticed, and swiftly dealt with the gray priests who had seen them.

And yet, somehow, Ferdinand had deduced that someone had invaded the High Bishop’s chambers, that the bible had been replaced, and even that Gloria had played a hand in it all. Most shocking of all, he had barged into the Dahldolf estate and discovered the bible that had been moved to the castle.

How is one supposed to plan around that?

They had managed to deliver the key to Georgine but failed to pin the theft of the bible on Ferdinand, which would have allowed them to drive Sylvester into a corner. Even when Ferdinand was living in Ahrensbach, they hadn’t succeeded in any of their attempts to coax him into inaction or get him under Georgine’s control.

But with Lady Letizia’s poison, we were finally able to dispose of him. His interference will trouble us no longer.

Ferdinand was dead, and Bonifatius had been lured to the southernmost provinces. All relevant threats had therefore been accounted for.

Georgine’s plan was advancing unhindered... yet Grausam struggled to relax. He couldn’t shake the feeling he was missing something of critical importance. When he looked back, every single one of their past plans had proceeded without issue, only to fail out of nowhere as the result of unforeseen and sometimes even incomprehensible obstructions.

I gain nothing by fretting. Instead, I should come up with countermeasures.

Grausam stepped out of the giebe’s office with his bag of tools in hand and started setting up traps around the stairs, ensuring that nobody would be able to reach him. They were the same traps used to protect the cabins in the forest; he would receive a warning if any of them were activated or disarmed, meaning he wouldn’t need to worry about ambushes.

“You there! What are y—? Ngh!”

The occasional servant or attendant spotted Grausam, but he merely eliminated them before returning to his work. He had expected to encounter more trouble, but there were fewer people in the estate than he’d anticipated. They must have evacuated as per the old giebe’s instructions.

Good.

Gerlach was Grausam’s home. A few deaths were certainly necessary to wrest control of the province from Aub Ehrenfest and the Leisegangs, but he wanted to keep casualties to a minimum.

From there, Grausam returned to the giebe’s office. He was inspecting his remaining tools when an ordonnanz flew into the room and perched on the tied-up man now slumped in the corner.

“This is the knight commander. The invading force is larger than what Illgner and Griebel described. I cannot guarantee we will survive long enough to see the reinforcements... but we will do everything in our power to endure. If you send any ordonnanzes beyond this point, I doubt I will have the leeway to respond to them. May Angriff guide us both.”

The ordonnanz repeated its message twice more before turning back into a yellow feystone, which Grausam then crushed with his prosthetic hand; the knight commander wouldn’t need to worry about a response. The bound man merely stared at the shattered remains with frustrated tears in his eyes.

“Hm. Well, if you aren’t going to receive any more ordonnanzes, I see no reason to keep you alive.”

Grausam took out his sword and stabbed the man several times, aiming for spots that wouldn’t be immediately fatal; he considered it a waste to use instant-death poison on someone who could neither move nor call out for help. His target whimpered and struggled to escape, overcome with fear, but it was no use. There was nowhere for him to go.

Satisfied, Grausam nodded. If the Lanzenavians were to be believed, this man would turn into an exceptionally high-quality and mana-rich feystone.

The time has finally come.

Grausam turned away from the bleeding man and approached the nearby balcony. Outside, he could see the backs of the knights fighting to protect the estate, all unaware that a new giebe had taken control. A wave of light-violet capes was descending upon them, boasting such a great numerical advantage that the outcome was easy to predict.

The question, then, is how long the defenders will manage to survive.

Grausam smirked—and at that moment, he saw beyond the light-violet capes a much starker blue.