Ascendance of a Bookworm

"You're finally done"

I was supposed to have dinner that day after the Lords' Conference with my mother, Magdalena. Because Hildebrandt, who was a minor and could not participate, asked me to tell him about the service ceremony.

Truth is, I wish I could have let you join my side and ask how that went, but I can't keep my escort away from Hildebrandt leaving a voicemail. And priority was given to those who would take part in the service ceremony and put their numbers on the central answering machine, which would become thin.

"Mother, what was the service like? Did the pillar of light still stand?

Instead of standing alongside the king as royalty, Hildebrandt looks at Magdalena, who was taking part in the service ceremony as a central nobleman, and asks excitedly. Neither the service ceremony of the House of Lords, nor the ritual of the first star knot of the Lords' Council, but the divinity that takes place with Rosemaine as the head of the temple, becomes a ritual like never heard of.

Magdalena moves the cutlery and slowly looks around after a bite of the young bird's herb wrap. Is it because Hildebrandt is so excited, the side service he is serving and the escort knights standing behind him were also waiting for Magdalena's answer with an interested face.

"The columns of red light did not stand as we had heard from all the royalty who took part in the winter"

"Huh? Really?

For Hildebrandt, who thought something unusual would happen if Rosemayne performed the ritual, that was what a clapping answer.

"There will be a change depending on whether you make a god's item in Starp or use a god's item in the temple, and it will be because of the different seasons because the service ceremony is originally a winter ritual," Rosemayne said.

"I'm sorry to hear you said you wanted to see the red pillar."

Last time, Magdalena was unable to attend the service ceremony because she had to remain in the royal palace to perform her duties. He listened to the royal family he joined and said he wanted to see it with his own eyes for once.

"Unfortunately, I didn't see the columns of red light, the precious color of winter. But the sight of the Holy Grail shining in precious red and all the red light slowly rising upwards was a very fantastic and beautiful sight."

"Something unusual still happened," Hildebrandt felt painfully at Magdalena, who laughed with her prank-like, red eyes narrowed.

"Tell me more, Mother"

Unlike the service ceremony held in the House of Lords in the winter, the pillars of red light did not stand at this service ceremony, but as the words of prayer, which were at first fragmented, gradually aligned, it seems that the unity that unites everyone who participates in divinity and the comfort of leaving themselves to a stream of magic that flows more and more from behind, were as we had heard the story.

Watching Magdalena talk happily, Hildebrandt couldn't help but regret being underage and unable to participate in divinity.

"I felt indescribably tranced because this was the first time I had ever done a divine thing with that many people. The fatigue after the end seemed comfortable..."

At the House of Lords service ceremony, they also continued those who fell, but this time Rosemaine seemed to cut it up early, saying that there were no nobles who would fall because their magic was too diminished.

"The blue clerics and blue witches in the central temple were down, weren't they? They said the magic was flowing too fast to cut it up in time just in time. I told Immanuel in advance that we could not perform the ritual together with a great difference in magic, and Lady Rosemaine said with a bewildered face,"

Naturally, there is a huge difference in the amount of magic between blue clerics and blue witches who have never had any magic compression, and Aub and his sides everywhere that supports the territory, and Rosemayne seems to have a service ceremony separate from the other blue clerics, even in the temple of Aerenfest.

"The central temple would never have held a service ceremony with the nobility, so I guess there's no choice."

That's what Magdalena laughed at. There seemed to be a lot of things to think about in the central temple, where he made a big face and poked new demands on the royalty one after the other, so that he could recreate the old divine affairs and choose the next Zent candidate, making the accumulation a lowered face.

When he finished dinner and moved the room from the dining room to the bickering room to have Artur prepare his after-dinner tea, Hildebrandt paid for it. It was a tumultuous Lords' meeting for the royalty, so there are too many topics not to be asked by others. Whatever you want to talk about, paying people and anti-bugging magic equipment is important.

Grasping the anti-bugging magic equipment handed to him, Hildebrandt stares at Magdalena. I ask my mother, who slowly enjoys the smell of tea, diving her voice a little, even if she has magic equipment.

"Have you succeeded in impressing Rosemaine as the Virgin at this service ceremony and making her look special as the person she deserves to be the king's adopted daughter?

"Yep. The service ceremony alone would have seemed special enough, but it would have seemed special to everyone's eyes to have made the Holy Grail green with Fruitraine's congratulations repeated over and over again if everyone would have made the restorative drug a little easier afterwards. I think you've succeeded in making me think that you're not a good person to monopolize at Aerenfest."

It wasn't on this one, but it was very convenient, Magdalena says. Rosemayne had done the mysterious phenomenon of divinity with her natural face, grumbling over the celebration to restore the gathering place, and apparently she had made the Holy Grail glow green in the process of teaching everyone. The figure seemed worthy to be called the Virgin, accustomed to interacting with the gods.

"Even if there isn't one thing about Gluthris Height, she's a talent to be welcomed to the center. It would be painful for Aerenfest, but few would disagree if it were to be the king's adopted daughter"

He has extensive experience and information about divinity and has the amount of magic the next Zent deserves. If you look at the information on the stone slab that has been translated in modern language, you can also deduce that the rosemaine that was able to tour the temple is all attributes. Even if he can't be the next Zent, he wants to secure it for the next generation of the royal family.

"Really...... I didn't think he was the same person who told me to build a library on the terms of the proposal."

Magdalena slowly starts drinking tea after sighing. Hildebrandt took the cup just like Magdalena and swallowed the words "Rosemaine just doesn't want to marry Brother Gigisvalt" with the tea.

In the basement library, Gigisvalt and I were the only two people talking, Rosemayne was crying along the way. He stared sadly at Gigisvalt and was trembling. And I've put out conditions that make me very unprepared, so I'm determined by the manifestation of my mind that I don't want to marry Gigisvalt.

"It really helped that Aub Aerenfest agreed to dismiss the library"

"... Did your father say that was good? Well, Wilfried's engagement with Rosemaine is dissolved..."

Zent's orders are absolute. The engagement of Wilfried and Rosemaine should also have been determined by Zent's words. Yet, is it something that can make you dissolve your engagement and allow you to have a new engagement? Wouldn't it be possible to dissolve my own engagement if that were possible?

As Hildebrandt asked, pondering various things, Magdalena laid down her cup and clasped her shoulders a little.

"I didn't disagree because that fits in the safest and best form. Perhaps if Aerenfest had more power, it would have been possible to make Lord Wilfried his king. But it's not that vessel, Aub Aerenfest said."

You want to avoid any more powerful aristocracy spilling out of Aerenfest, which is understaffed, Magdalena whines. It seems that it is basically Rosemaine's feat that Aerenfest has been ranking sharply, with many of the good being analyzed as young.

"Aub Aerenfest will have an Aub-like reaction in the lower realm trying to swallow what he's been ordered to do, but young civilians will come up with conditions, they'll argue somewhat, they'll show an attitude to negotiate."

When the opinion was put out of many territories that Rosemaine should be made the head of the temple of the central temple, and Zent and Gigisvalt went to Aerenfest to make a request, Aub Aerenfest and his neighbors, with a very troubled face, closed their mouths and said, "It is…", they cited an alternative after a young civilian dismissed it with a very refreshing smile that it was "very unacceptable".

"The Temple Head of Aerenfest has a Lord's Candidate for Aerenfest. The central temple, which is royal jurisdiction, will be the muscle for royalty to take office. There was a time when the first king was the head of the temple. It seems good to put Prince Hildebrandt in the central temple so that he can take up the position of Temple Chief until adulthood. If you want to know what kind of study to do, let me tell you that I'm in charge of the next generation of Temple Chief Education."

He couldn't argue with the royalty who suggested that he wanted to include the Lord's Candidate of Aerenfest in the central temple, whether he intended to include the royal family in the temple.

"... I wasn't just going to Arlensbach, I was just about to be admitted to the temple?

Wouldn't that be a lot different from the way you handled your brothers who would remain royal under any circumstances? Thinking about it, I have to assume Hildebrandt is very low in value to his father.

"I won't let that happen."

Magdalena says so with a bitter smile and stares at Hildebrandt with tender eyes. Hildebrandt inquired small into the eyes of his mother, who would protect him.

"... do I really have to go to Arlensbach to be my son-in-law?

Likewise I expected the answer, "I will not let such a situation", but Magdalena smiled lightly, "Because it is royal fate," she said.

"I'm very anxious to think that Dietrinde is my future stepmother. Can a princess and I be raised by someone like that?"

Just a few voices I heard in the basement library and their contents. If you listen to the Ordnants from Arlensbach, who told you not to participate in the service ceremony, you'll soon find out who Dietrinde is going to be the next Aub Arlensbach.

I cannot show you an attitude of rejection of the royal life. Zero anxiety that no one else could tell, Magdalena took a seat with a hazy look. And he stood next to Hildebrandt, sitting, softly embracing him.

"It's okay, Hildebrandt. I will definitely eliminate Master Dietrinde by the time you join my son-in-law. Normally, Ferdinand, Dietrinde's wedding partner, has to keep an eye on her a lot and be careful not to act disrespectfully, but she's unlikely to expect it."

Magdalena said that out in a slightly stronger tone.

"I know that if I get married, I will be in a union, so if I don't do it right now, I will be in a difficult situation later, even if I have about six months to do it."

While Magdalena cites Dietrinde's disrespectful attitude, she pulls down Ferdinand, who is allowing it. According to his mother, Ferdinand doesn't know what a woman's heart is, she doesn't have a scrupulous hand against anyone at all, and she seems to be the kind of person who refuses to even face the majority of humans from the start, not just women.

"Master Ferdinand is only good on the outside, such as appearance and grades, and his strength as a knight is a great thing. If you just look from afar, you'll look like the perfect person. But that's all he's got, even if he can make nasty plans like the Demon King, threatened exchanges, and factional adjustments. Even if we can place people who have long been out of touch, it's because of the interpersonal relationships that we have to face individuals."

Hildebrandt rounded his eyes to a too bad person review. I feel a lot different from Ferdinand I heard from Rosemayne's mouth at previous tea parties and underground library lunches.

"... Um, Mother. Wasn't Ferdinand Rosemayne's mentor? Is it someone else's story?

"It's the same person. No one is more unsuitable for the word raising someone than Master Ferdinand. I'm sure the proximity was taking care of Master Rosemayne..."

"You can't raise a young child on that one," Magdalena says with a fundamentally strange face. They must crush the kid more because it's too harsh.

"But the terms under which Rosemayne will be the king's adopted daughter include the salvation of Ferdinand, right? Isn't Rosemayne admiring Ferdinand?

Unless you admire it so much, no such condition should come up. To Hildebrandt's words, Magdalena nodded, "I don't believe it, but I guess so," with a face that didn't fall in her heart.

"To be honest, I didn't think anyone besides Aub Aerenfest admired Master Ferdinand like a family, so I was really surprised when I heard that condition from Prince Gigisvalt"

Does Rosemayne's desire to circumvent Ferdinand's union and improve his treatment on the terms of becoming the king's adopted daughter mean that he is so poorly treated in Arlensbach that he has to sue the royalty directly?

"... Mother, I want to be a Zent too. So we don't have to head to Arlensbach, do we? Is Arlensbach such a terrible place for Rosemayne to demand better treatment?

"My mother will do everything in her power to get Arlensbach ready for you to spend time in Arlensbach. But I won't allow you to be Zent."

Magdalena kept Hildebrandt in a gentle embrace and dismissed his request with a nibbly smile.

"Why?

"One is because it's going to take too long even if you're going to try. The truth is, you know you can't even afford to wait a year for adoption, right? But you don't have enough attributes, and you're not in the House of Lords. How long do you think it will take you to qualify?

The collapse of Jürgenschmidt will not wait for Hildebrandt to grow, Magdalena says.

"And one more thing. This is even more important. A year from now, I will welcome Lady Rosemayne as my adopted daughter, and if I can get a Gluthris Height, she will be the Zent."

The two can't be Zent, and if Hildebrandt, who draws King Traokvar's blood, later qualifies as Zent, it could crack Jürgenschmidt, Magdalena explains.

"Neither Zent nor I will ever admit that the present royal family will waver the reign of the new Zent we have gained from waiting for ourselves, dissolving our engagement, and pulling us away from our homeland"

That's what Hildebrandt, a royalty, shouldn't do, his mother strictly told him, and Hildebrandt dropped. Magdalena's opinion is understandable. But emotions are unacceptable.

"Mother, Rosemaine is weak. You can't be as intense as Zent. We need someone to support us. I just want to help Rosemaine."

If you think of a father tired of his executive duties, Hildebrandt also knows that's not something he can do to Rosemaine. Don't let a weak princess fall at a tea party, Zent, etc.

Hildebrandt tries to sue if the marriage partner also needs to be qualified for Zent to support the woman's Zent, just as the marriage partner is determined to be a Lordship candidate so that she can support the woman's Aub.

"You can be worried about Hildebrandt. That's why as a fiancé, as a husband, it's what Prince Gigisvalt should do, not what Hildebrandt does"

"... wasn't Brother Gigisvalt hated by Rosemayne"

Magdalena tightened her red eyes when Hildebrandt pointed her lips in dissatisfaction, even though I could be more gentle with Rosemaine.

"We know you admire Rosemaine for her long contact, but don't act beyond your position. You are engaged to Lady Retizia. You have to be able to digest emotions well."

No matter how dissatisfied you are, there is nothing you can do about your royal life. Zent is the only one who can overturn the engagement of herself and Retizia, as well as the engagement of Gigisvalt and Rosemaine.

... even though if I could be a Zent, I would no longer be in Zent while my weak Rosemaine forced me to marry unwanted, nor would I be heading to Arlensbach.

Hildebrandt gently pays off Magdalena's arm.

"If we hurry, shouldn't we try it with all the royalty?

"That's not all the royal work, though I was able to gather magic at the service ceremony. There shouldn't be room for everyone to try. … and how much of a challenge you've been trying to get since you were a third grader in the House of Lords"

"Huh?"

"There have been changes to the contents of the House of Lords lecture. Hildebrandt will not gain the stapes he needs to enter the temple until Rosemayne has grown up."

... then you won't make it at all. How come Father won't even let me try!?

I know I can't listen to you no matter what you say. Hildebrandt swallowed a good cup of tea with all sorts of dissatisfaction. Feeling discontent build up in his stomach, Hildebrandt ended his dinner party with his mother.

For the royal family, and also for Hildebrandt, the tumultuous Lords' Conference came to an end and the routine returned.

It has also been a long time since the Knights of the Central Knights, Raobrut, and the sword archery to be performed. The Knights are busy on escort duty during the Lords' Conference, so all they had to do was practice a little with their own escort knights in the short time between breakfast and heading to the basement library.

Start with solid foundation training and match your swords. After just a few meetings, Raoblut looked up and told him to stop.

"The sword is a lot rough, but what the hell was there?

As Laobrut, who is putting on an archery, shrugged, "This will not be an archery. Let's take a break," he said, walking out to the resting place inside the training ground. With a heavy sword, Hildebrandt follows. As a Hildebrand, I didn't mean to show you what's in my heart, but what a teeth it's telling them.

He brews his tea as Artur, who was waiting at the resting place, looks a little surprised at the sudden break. While receiving tea from Artur, Raoblut asked, "What bothers you with such a face?," he urged Hildebrandt to consult his concerns.

"... I can't say"

I can't say I don't want to go to Arlensbach as my son-in-law. I'm depressed to think that Dietrinde will be my stepmother when I grow up, and I can't say I'm desperate to see if there's any way I can manage to dissolve my engagement. I'm going to deny my royal life.

It's also something Rosemaine shouldn't say is closest to the next Zent. I cannot speak of what the royal family has decided to do with its proximity. If I add, there's no way I can say that I think I'm the best person to marry Rosemayne, not Gigisvalt, who Rosemayne hates me.

The truth is, I want to do some magic compression a little faster, and Hildebrandt also tours the temple, just like my father and Gigisvalt would, to qualify for the next Zent, just like Rosemayne. If Rosemayne qualifies by the time she grows up, she will no longer have a son-in-law in Arlensbach or an unhappy marriage with Rosemayne.

However, the acquisition of Starp, which should be available for acquisition in the first year of the House of Lords, was changed to third grade. Rosemaine was already an adult when she was in third grade. It's too late to move to qualify for the next Zent after getting a Starp in the third grade.

None of this is the kind of thing you can put in your mouth. I don't want to put my troubles in my mouth. Hildebrandt showed them a little swell and decided to change the subject. It was partly because I was a little angry to be asked all the things I didn't really want you to touch.

"I was worried about what kind of flowers are Schlartraum flowers."

"What?"

Raoblut peered into Hildebrandt with a stunned face when he couldn't follow about the sudden conversion of topics. Just a little refreshing on Raoblut's surprised face, laughing small.

"Altancia was asking Dietrinde in the library library. Is that a flower you like Lao Blount? They only get it in Arlensbach, what kind of flowers?

I ask, remembering that Laobrut, who is the Knights leader and feels boneless, also has a flower of choice, and that I am surprised that he prefers flowers that only bloom in Arlensbach, which seems to have no contact at all.

"... oh, did that happen in the library"

After a few seconds of silence, Raoblut grins with a hoot. That is a laugh that the nobles often show to hide their inner agitation. With that grin, Raoblut slowly turns his gaze around to look for words.

"Schlartraum flowers are... white flowers with a sweet smell. It's my favorite flower, but I can't get it. So I'm asking if it's blooming this year."

Is it a rare flower to bloom beautifully? Hildebrandt tilted his neck wondering.

"Wasn't Raoblut from Guillesenmeier? How can we know flowers that don't bloom outside of Arlensbach?

To the question, Laobrut glanced a little farther and glanced at the already thinning cheek wound with his finger. I wonder if it has anything to do with that wound, Hildebrandt somehow thinks. It's the face of an adult who misses something he's already lost with a bitter face.

"Do you have any memories?

"... Once upon a time, it was a flower that the Lord of the Away Palace, assigned to me as soon as I was still an adult, preferred. There was a greenhouse in the corner of the outhouse, and it was blooming there. They don't even know primarily when it's flowers brought in, but they've taken care of it for generations.... My assignment has changed in less than five years, and now there is no more Lord, and we are talking about a closed outhouse."

Long ago, the princess of Arlensbach, who married the royal family, must have been the flower she brought into the outhouse, Hildebrandt convinced. I hear there were several coup d 'état folds, solemn royalty, and a number of closed detached houses. I'm sure it's one of them.

"Well, I just told you about my memories, and you'll tell the prince about your troubles, too. In such a state forever, you will not only be able to arch the sword, you will not be able to study"

Artur is also worried, says Raoblut, turning his gaze to Artur. I thought I had been able to change the subject successfully because of it, but I didn't expect it to come back to the original topic.

Artur looks worried, too, and Raobrut says, "Oh, while you ask me, won't Prince Hildebrandt answer?," he has urged the answer as if to do it again.

When Raoblut tells me that he's been taking care of me since I was a young girl, I feel like I have to answer something.

I can't say I don't want to be my son-in-law to Arlensbach. Neither should Rosemayne be said to be closest to the next Zent, nor to be adopted by the King. I can't even say that I really think it's best to marry Rosemayne, not Gigisvalt.

The only thing Hildebrandt could say as a result was complaints about curricular changes in the House of Lords.

"... I was hoping to have a stamp right now. Yet, Father has changed the content of the House of Lords lecture. I'm a little sad about that."

"Right now, is that..."

After his eyes were rounded, Raoblut, slowly narrowing his eyes to think a little, grinned and shook his head.

"Prince Hildebrandt is royal, so you can open the door, and there's nothing you can't take if you want to"

"Is it true!?

Altour's slightly like voice overlapped Hildebrandt's voice staring at Laobrut unexpectedly.

"What would you say if you were also the Knight Commander!?

Raoblut raises his hand a little to control Artur.

"But Zent thought about Prince Hildebrandt and forced him to change the lecture. Please understand Zent's kindness."

"Huh?"

For my own sake, I don't understand if they say so. As a Hildebrand who wants to be a Zent candidate by the time Rosemayne grows up and dissolve both his own engagement and that of Gigisvalt and Rosemayne, I want a Starp right now. Yet all I could think was that the lecture had been changed. Laobrut gives reasons why the lecture was changed in a slow tone.

"There was a change in the content of the lecture because it is better to get as much magic compression as possible before you get a stamp, and pray and get more attributes with the protection of the gods. Zent must have rushed because you thought that Prince Hildebrandt could get a little bit of a good starp"

Artur nodded with a relieved face at Laobrut's explanation.

"Prince Hildebrandt, the Knight Commander is right. Follow the heart of King Traokvar."

They say the best possible quality starp...... and Hildebrandt thinks a little. Speaking of which, when discussing it solely with the royal family, the mother would have reported, "If you could patronize the small shrine and get protection from all the family members, you would get protection from the Great God". Some of the literature I was entrusted to photograph I wasn't so good at photographing letters was a map.

... around the small shrine, if you add more attributes...?

If you can pray a little and add more attributes, maybe Hildebrandt, the royal family, can become the next Zent.

... If you could get all the attributes, your father wouldn't have said you shouldn't get a stamp either.

"Now work with Zent to compress magic and increase attributes. Speak from me when it's good enough."

If I could work hard to increase my attributes, I guess he would ask my father to come with me. Hildebrandt decides so from his previous relationship and nods with a bright smile. "I'll take care of you," Altour grinned calmly as well.

"I'm not making a big deal of it," Laobrut waved at the knight, laughing small at Artur. One knight who receives the signal brings a crate and hands it to Artur.

"They say this is an educational toy given by Aerenfest. Contains books and toys designed to make it easy to remember the names of the gods. They say it's one of the secrets Aerenfest has rapidly grown in grades."

They also gave me a sample to the royal family because I'm going to sell it to the territory where I'm going to be trading. The neighbors have finished checking to see if anything suspicious is pinched or dangerous, so they brought it here.

"Master Magdalena said you should give it to Prince Hildebrandt after he enters the House of Lords, but studying early is not a bad thing. Please study well with this. The name of the gods is a must for prayer to increase your protection."

Handed over by Artur was a familiar Aerenfest book for Hildebrandt. Try turning it apart and you'll see beautiful paintings and easy explanations. With this, I would be a little closer to Rosemaine again.

... Remember the names of the gods, pray and increase your attributes and ask your father to get a stamp.

I felt like I saw light in the dark that got me lost. Glad the direction was set for him, Hildebrandt raised his face. Raoblut stands up with his sword in his hand, grinning niggardly.

"So, Prince Hildebrandt. It looks like a little stray has disappeared, so let's get back to the audition."

"Yes! Nice to meet you"

Returning the book to Artur, he took the sword and Hildebrandt followed Raobrut's back.