Ascendance of a Bookworm

Peony from a shelf that was just thoughtful and advertised the book. It's fine, but it's no different than being praised.

... I'm fine. Ugh.

Soaking in joy remembering the look on Ferdinand's face, who was laughing small at him at the end, and the feeling of a hand lightly placed on his head, Hannelore put her hand on his cheek with a strange face as he looked at me.

"Master Rosemaine sounds a lot happier."

"Yep. It was quite a treat. Ferdinand doesn't get a lot of compliments unless he achieves the first day of school passes for everyone in the dorm or finishes the lecture as quickly as possible without ever losing his grades. I'm really glad I went to Arlensbach and I thought you could only praise me by letter anymore"

As far as I was concerned, I was hoping for a smiling response: "That's good," but the look on the faces of the First Lady and Hannelore drew.

"What's wrong?

"... no. I was surprised at the very strict instruction."

That's what the First Lady said, laughing like she was in trouble, trying to squeeze the words out somehow. It didn't start now, so Ferdinand's instruction seemed "tough" rather than "tough", although his senses were no longer paralyzed.

... Ah, maybe they thought I was being abused again!?

"Oh, you know, it may sound harsh, but you'll be fine if you get used to it. Did you spare me a goodbye before heading to Arlensbach, something I never read before every time I did an assignment. Master Ferdinand is actually very kind."

It's a little harsh but not scary, my adoptive father grinned and waved lightly as I worked so hard on Ferdinand's kindness appeal.

"The next challenge is to read a book that you've never read, so you won't be able to keep up with Ferdinand's instruction unless it's perceived as a reward,"

... Oh my God!? I can't believe I thought it was a reward from Master Ferdinand because when I finished my practical assignment they were telling me, "If I didn't read it by tomorrow, I'd start my next assignment" and they were giving it to me!?

As I opened my eyes to the fact of the first shock I knew, I could see a group of black cloaks coming this way. Anastasius is leading the way. I was with you last year. I don't see Eglantine because I have a job as a teacher? Kind of lonely.

"Oh, it looks like the royal family is here, so please excuse us when we're done greeting you."

The First Lady and Hannelore took their seats and tried to give the place to the royal family. As soon as that happens, Anastasius moves his hand softly.

"Wait. I have something to tell the First Lady of Dunkelferger, too"

Greeting was not allowed to leave, and the two Dunkelfergers were to sit back again. At a round table, next to the right of Anastasius is the adoptive father, next to the left is the First Lady. I am the adoptive father on the left and the Hannelore on the right.

"Rosemaine, I'm sorry, can you put that windshield up? Use range-specified anti-bugging magic equipment on it. Others, be modest."

Beside Anastasius preparing his magic equipment for his side, I lay down the shield of Szeria. I guess there is no particular harm or hostility. No one nearby was played by a shield. Still, Anastasius says the side servants who have finished preparing tea and sweets, as well as the escort knights, are to get out of the anti-bugging magic equipment.

"Do you also lower the escort knights?

"... ah. If they do, they'll know why."

I guess it indicates something about the Central Knights who have been intruding on Ditter the other day. The report seems to be doing well, and both the First Lady and the adoptive father immediately acknowledge it and make them refrain from being near each other. The First Lady opened her mouth when she saw all the closest people out.

"It's a lot harsher, but what are we talking about?

"First of all, it's a bitterness to them, etc. I intend to pay close attention to them more than once, but I see no improvement at all. I was worried about calling or not, and I was waiting for a protector to come to the Territorial Battle."

And today, he came because he saw Dunkelferger and Aerenfest with him just when he finished his conversation with Classenburg, and he didn't think he would have any more opportunities.

... Yep - I mean, a parental call for the child in question? Oh, speaking of which, there was a call last year in the uproar of Turnisbefalen, and Master Ferdinand was here, not your adoptive father, right? I kind of miss it.

It seems like last year was a long time ago. Looking around as I immersed myself in nostalgia, my adoptive father, the First Lady and Hannelore were stretching their faces and tensioning their bodies in front of the royal bitterness that was about to begin. I also hurry to make a strange face when I notice my sense of misplacement even though I don't like it because of the sense of urgency around me.

"As you will know just as well, Dunkelferger and Aerenfest are causing too many problems. No matter how much the House of Lords is a place to refrain from parental interference to encourage children to grow up, can we do something about it a little more? Especially Rosemaine and Hannelore, since the admission of the two Lords Candidates. Problems have arisen like every year, and they have grown in size year after year"

There was no dispute between Dunkelferger and Aerenfest prior to our admission, nor was there a dispute involving more than one territory. Finally, Aerenfest never rose in rank at once either, so the atmosphere wasn't as giddy as it is now, he said.

"Prince Anastasius, may I ask you a question?

"What?"

I was seen with Grey's eyes, who said not to break the waist of the story, but I got permission.

"Does the dispute between Dunkelferger and Aerenfest mean Ditter?

"What else do you have?

"I'm not convinced we'll be scolded for that."

In my words my adoptive father hastily tries to hold me down, saying, "Rosemaine, don't argue with the royal family". I shook my head as I looked at my adoptive father, who was changing his complexion.

"Dear adoptive father, if they don't claim this claim for the first time, whether they're royal or superior territory, won't they pass it on to them? Whatever they say, they're silent, so they're misled in vain, spread bad rumors, and even say it like it's the truth. I think it's important to insist before being interpreted at will, and I'm still going to choose who they are for once."

That's what I say as I look around at the members taking their seats, "Pick a match, royalty and dunkelferger?!?" My adoptive father raised his voice like a scream.

"Yes, Prince Anastasius had an experience where he was not able to get your heart through with Master Eglantine because he was via people without having a direct exchange of views, and he had not just understood the importance of sharing information and preconditions with the First Lady of Dunkelferger earlier"

It's not like I can blow anyone this far. I'm going to choose someone who may not have the same standards as my adoptive father, but it seems okay to talk to me. Although I don't deny that the criteria could be wrong.

"Rosemayne, I know what they're saying might make sense, but give me a little more of Aerenfest's position."

"Prince Anastasius purposefully sidelined me, didn't he, because he wanted a frank opinion? If you want to take a stand and keep quiet, you don't have to prepare a place like this."

I point to a space separated by an anti-eavesdropping magic device and a shield of Szeeria. Anastasius turned his sympathetic gaze to his adoptive father, looking so headached.

"Aub Aerenfest. I know what it's like to be there. But as Rosemayne said, what I want is a frank opinion. So, Rosemaine. What makes you unconvinced of being scolded?

"Neither I nor Master Hannelore ever said or thought I wanted to play ditter. Isn't that right, Master Hannelore?

When I asked for my consent, Hannelore nodded several times, after being freaked out, "I never wanted Ditter," he said.

"You know Prince Anastasius well in freshman year, don't you? Master Lestilaud suddenly attacked us over Schwartz and his caretakers. Didn't Dr. Rufen put that away with a ditter?"

In the second year, Aub Dunkelferger approached me to play ditter if he wanted the right to print, making it a one-horse hit between Ferdinand and Heishitze. I wanted the right to print, but I wanted you to discuss it and do something about it, if possible. In the third year, Lestilaud came to the battle to dissolve the king's engagement.

"Me and Master Hannelore are just basically involved. If you scold, wear the position of superior territory and scold the Dunkelferger lord directly for putting a ditter on Aerenfest that you can't refuse."

"Turn it down from next," Anastasius said powerlessly, looking at Dunkelferger's First Lady with an indescribable face.

"Yes, I've always been told not to defy the upper realm, but I got permission from the First Lady earlier to refuse Ditter as well, so Aerenfest will never do Ditter again. Don't worry."

I stretched my chest and said, "Look. I also got royal permission, so it's okay now, adoptive father," he smiled and turned to his face, and his adoptive father was holding his head and solidifying. The royal family and the First Lady gave me "no permission," so I think I'm going to be happy, but why are you holding your head?

"Um, and then, this is not just Aerenfest, it's a favor for the Lower Territories, but don't give royalty permission to lend the House of Lords training ground for dithers other than lectures easily either. You can't refuse a lower territory unless you show the lower territory enough consideration to listen to the circumstances before you give permission. It would be very helpful if you confirmed your intentions beforehand, rather than an after-action reprimand arbitration"

I can't help but want to play ditter. Dunkelferger sets the scene, and Rufen, the most knightly course and powerful, is happy to go get permission from the royal family. I really don't want to compete there. There's no point in raising the opinion of the lower territories.

"Aub Aerenfest. Rosemaine says this, but is it really more helpful for the lower realm to have a prior confirmation of intent?

"... that does help. Even if you listen to your opinions, you will sometimes get the result of battles that you can't be honest with in relation to the top territories. But at least you'll get a sense of being protected by the royalty, and I appreciate your attitude in trying to get your opinion."

Anastasius said in his adoptive father's opinion, "Hmm. Let's reference it," he nodded. This should reduce the number of Ditter victims slightly.

"Then I apologize for the central knight intruding on Ditter. Those knights acted on their own initiative claiming that the royal family should get the Virgin for Zent. However, it is true that Hildebrandt said that he wanted to help Rosemaine, who is in need of being proposed by Dunkelferger, so he interpreted Hildebrandt's wishes as royal orders and enlargement? There is also a view that Of course, on top of not being Zent's order, it does not change that he is the subject of punishment because he involved small and medium-sized territories. I plan to punish you severely."

But suddenly Anastasius sighed, saying he didn't know why the three knights were in such outrages. Even the Central Knights were in the hub, and they said the king was the three of them they trusted most, and the one who was most shocked by their rampage was the king.

I looked up to my adoptive father on the subject of the knights who had been intruding. This is a great opportunity to talk about Troke.

"Prince Anastasius, do you know a plant called Trook?

"Rosemaine! Good later"

That's what my adoptive father said when he saw two Dunkelfergers present. But I shook my head.

"I think it's the only time. When Zent can no longer be trusted with the Central Knights, and there will be no one more to rely on than the Knights of Dunkelferger when something big happened in Jürgenschmidt. It's troublesome where everything leads to Ditter, but that strength is real and doesn't allow any other territory to follow."

Even if you think about it because you can now get a quick response and a blessing from dancing when you were assaulted last year, you better let Dunkelferger know what's going on. It's not Aub who's here to connect everything to Ditter, it's the First Lady who has to run to the end of the men and prep them.

"I don't know much about Trook, so I'll leave the explanation to my adoptive father."

I don't know how much to say about the circumstances within Aerenfest, so I give up my speaking place to my adoptive father with a mouthful of obvious reasons.

"I've never heard of Trook or anything else, but do you know Dunkelferger?

"No, I don't know. What kind of plant is it?

Taking the gaze of the First Lady and Prince Anastasius, he raised his face as his adoptive father, who had held him around his stomach, had decided to do so.

"Torque is a dangerous plant that, when used on fire with something that is dried, has a strong action that, along with a sweet smell, makes you feel cloudy, hallucinogenic, and intoxicated.... After Ditter's intrusion, I received a report from a knight apprentice who greeted Prince Anastasius that he smelled more of a torque than a captured knight. Because it was used in the Central Knights, it seems likely that there will be people using Troke in the central center."

Both Anastasius and the First Lady opened their eyes wide.

"Tell us more about Trook, Aub Aerenfest!

Although he was asked to explain the momentum well, his adoptive father shook his head loosely.

"I don't even know about Aerenfest. There have been times in Aerenfest when rebels through other territories used it in secret meetings and could not take any memories of it as evidence of treason. This time I realized that the knight apprentice was called to that intimate meeting with his parents and was the one who immediately left the scene on the grounds that he was a minor. The testimony of the man, who was wearing a fireplace in the summer and had a sweet smell all over the room, and the confusion of the memories of the traitors made me realize that one of the civil servants might be Trook."

Apparently, the civilian noticed was over fifty years old and was taught by a pharmacological teacher who had left the House of Lords during his time in school.

"They said, as I will remember, though it won't be used because it's not near. I don't know where it came from, and he said it doesn't exist in Aerenfest. Hear more stories from someone over his age who was taking a lecture on special medicinal herbs, or look it up from the huge dossier in the center, etc. Aerenfest has no further information"

Anastasius nodded, "Well," and looked strongly at his adoptive father.

"Aub Aerenfest, you said the rebels were through with other realms, but where else is the realm? That would be the most important information"

Tension runs on the field. After a few seconds of silence, the adoptive father opened his mouth.

"... is Arlensbach, where my sister, Georgine, reigns as First Lady"

I guess I made sense of who Arlensbach is who could try treason with a connection to Aerenfest with this answer. Heavy silence spread.

"Prince Anastasius, that's all I can tell you"

"... thank you for your cooperation. Aerenfest's contribution can no longer be counted."

Huh. Anastasius exhaled. And it tells us that thanks to the magic power gained at the service ceremony the other day, we are able to move a number of important magic tools. He put his magic into various places, and Zent has been able to rest a little in the last few days.

"I was grateful to Aerenfest, whose father had taken care of Rosemaine and the ritual. It will rank a lot better next year if you want...... Aub Aerenfest. What do you think of that?

Anastasius stares at his adoptive father with Gray's eyes still. It's a quiet, tough eye to figure out if the right answer can be given back as Aub Aerenfest. The adoptive father opened his mouth looking straight back at the prince with his deep green eyes.

"… Please maintain your territorial ranking as it stands. As the royalty and Dunkelferger pointed out, there are still few aristocrats within Aerenfest who can move as superior territories. Ferdinand, who has been dating the upper realm while slightly distancing himself from Aerenfest, and probably about Rosemaine and his side educated by him."

My adoptive father says that when my rank rises, I will be asked to behave even more as a superior territory, but now I am also struggling to put together within Aerenfest, and I cannot afford to devote much of my strength to diplomacy.

"We would like you to put Aerenfest's contribution in the form of making up for the part of the previous coup that did not help Zent."

"... not a bad idea. Take it home and talk to Zent"

Anastasius nodded lightly at his adoptive father's desire to treat Aerenfest from now on the same as the coup winning territory instead of ranking him higher at the next Lords' Conference.

"Then, this is a request from the royal family, for the duration of the Lords' Council, I want Hannelore and Rosemaine to be sunflower in the library of the House of Lords"

Because the royal family needs to visit the library at that time, they want our help in managing the keys.

"I don't mind, but aren't you going to change the custodian of the key to a senior civilian in the center?

"I intended to do so, but I came to the conclusion that it would be best to leave the rebellion and harmfulness to those, etc. who have no need to doubt it now and who will not join the Lords' Conference. Will you do me a favor?

The Central Knights were manipulated on the Trook. I guess I can't say that the civilian won't be in the same condition next time. When I undertook vigorously to "leave it to you," Hannelore, who was a little contemplative, also nodded cocklessly.

"I also have a ritual that I would like to examine in detail, and I am not as proficient in the old language as Master Rosemaine, but I would be happy to cooperate if I could help the royal family"

Listening to our reply, Anastasius turns his gaze to the guardian. The adoptive father and the First Lady nodded in acceptance.

"Prince Anastasius, me, you can go into the library, right?

That's the most important thing. When I asked him with excitement, Anastasius nodded, "Of course," looking at his adoptive father.

"If it is the duration of the Lords' Meeting, the guardian will be able to assume that role even if I do not pick them out myself"

Caged in a nearby, untouchable library, he speaks of the inconvenience caused to the two princes, and I take no breath, and my adoptive father turns pale and begins to apologize.

"I hear that my stupid daughter, who only sees books, has caused you two princes a great deal of trouble and inconvenience. I am truly sorry. We are also as careful as we can here, but the influence of a pillar missing from the Supreme God supporting Aerenfest and the Great God of the Five Columns is too great. I truly hope that you will have the wisdom to forgive the Aviribe that Gedurleich is missing and raging."

"Is this the reins of Ferdinand," he murmured as Anastasius looked at me with a very bitter face at the words of his adoptive father, who apologizes peacefully.

...... hmm? What do you mean?

It seems that the meaning fits, unlike me leaning my neck, Anastasius and his adoptive father hold my forehead as they look at me.

"I see. If that's the case, I know what they say, but it's no longer difficult to do there. According to Arlensbach's clerks who headed ahead, Arre is doing a lot of errands on his own. I was delighted that the day was near when the situation in Arlensbach would improve."

Anastasius shook his neck sideways, saying it would be difficult for Arlensbach to crush him. So far, they say the only open border gates are in the sea of Arlensbach. Now that Gluthrithheit is being lost, we cannot even open other border gates, and Arlensbach is taking the deal with other countries in one hand. And on the contrary, we can't even close the border gates if something happens.

"Is there something wrong with other countries, too?

"... I think that an affair with Lanzenave might happen"

In the manner of Anastasius, who chooses the words, I recall that I had information in a letter from Ferdinand that the Princess of Adalziza was coming.

"It may not have much to do with them..."

It is true that the coming of a princess to Adalziza's detachment will not in itself concern me or Aerenfest. But Ferdinand, the fruit of Adalziza, is in Arlensbach. Nor is it completely irrelevant.

"We have Master Ferdinand in Arlensbach. Aerenfest is not irrelevant either. Please let me know if you need anything. I will definitely come and help Master Ferdinand."

"I can only see how things will expand if it goes better!

For some reason the words of Anastasius and his adoptive father overlapped.