Preparing for the Dedication Ritual

With my beloved wife, Eglantine, now serving as an instructor at the Royal Academy, and the challenges arising from Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest extending beyond my younger half-brother Hildebrand’s capability to manage, I found myself repeatedly entangled with Royal Academy matters.

Summoned by Oswin, who was stationed at my villa while I diligently supplied mana to magic tools in the royal palace, I gradually became involved in addressing the issues caused by the troublemakers from Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger. I was aware that my father and elder brother had more pressing responsibilities, and it seemed reasonable for me to handle miscellaneous matters related to the Royal Academy. Nonetheless, I couldn’t help but wish for Hildebrand to put in a bit more effort into his role, despite knowing it was an unreasonable expectation for a child not yet eligible for enrollment at the Royal Academy.

Today, I once again convened Hannelore and Rozemyne for a meeting. The main topics included discussing the pillar of light near the Dunkelfelger dormitory and Ehrenfest’s request to borrow the shrine in the Farthest Hall for their joint research.

Father, intrigued by Ehrenfest’s offer to donate the Dedication Ritual’s mana to the royal family, expressed eagerness to hear the meeting’s outcomes and invited me for dinner. Accompanied by Eglantine, who had concluded her lectures for the day, we traversed the door connecting my villa to the royal palace.

“Thanks to Rozemyne and Hannelore, I find myself dining with my father and elder brother more frequently these days,” I remarked.

Eglantine responded, “It is indeed uncommon for you to receive consecutive invitations. If not for my lectures, I would have liked to attend today’s meeting as well.”

Members of the royal family resided in separate villas after their baptism, sharing dinner with our father only when invited. As the second prince, after coming of age and getting married, opportunities to dine with my father were scarce unless for reporting or specific meetings. However, the number of dinner invitations I received this winter alone had already exceeded the count of private dinners I had attended since my Starbinding. We even shared a meal just last evening.

“I would much prefer to have dinner with just the two of us, Eglantine. To me, that time is like a symbol of peace.”

I have no desire to discuss Rozemyne over dinner.

◆

“So, how did the meeting go today?”

That was the opening question from my father as we began our meal. The entire royal family was present, including my elder brother, his wife, Hildebrand, and even my father’s second and third wives, who typically would not attend such meetings. It indicated the significance of Ehrenfest’s proposal to gather mana from multiple duchies.

“When I informed Ehrenfest that they would not be allowed to touch the shrine, Rozemyne suggested if they could borrow the hall where the shrine is located. She mentioned that since the Sovereign temple has denied the use of the divine instruments on the shrine, she would simply create a chalice of her own.”

Upon hearing my report, Father blinked rapidly and uttered in a soft tone, ”…Is it even possible for someone to make the chalice?” It was a thought shared by many, but considering Rozemyne’s capabilities in creating divine instruments, it seemed entirely plausible.

“However, she also mentioned that, since the chalice would be made from her schtappe, we wouldn’t be able to bring it back with us. Instead, she suggested transferring the mana from the chalice into empty feystones.”

“Is it truly possible to transfer mana from the chalice into feystones?”

There was a collective reaction of widened eyes, reflecting disbelief. In all honesty, I wasn’t entirely familiar with the act of collecting mana with the chalice. To address this uncertainty, I explained, “I am not well-versed in divine instruments, but this idea was proposed by Rozemyne, a High Bishop. I believe it should be possible.”

Father’s expression revealed a mix of surprise and hope. “In that case,” he said, ” we might truly acquire the mana from the ceremony…” Something he had given up on before now seemed achievable. Although the exact number of participating students remained unknown, the mana gathered from the ceremony would undoubtedly be a significant boon.

“Rozemyne has also invited the royal family to participate in the ceremony. She seemed concerned that our conflict with the Sovereign temple has prevented us from experiencing true religious ceremonies.”

“True religious ceremonies…?”

Rozemyne had explained that praying in a group improved mana flow, making it easier for prayers to reach the gods. However, none of us had ever experienced such a ceremony. The members of the royal family exchanged glances, and Hildebrand was the only one to eagerly raise his hand and declared, “Father, I would like to participate!”

“You may not. As this is a ceremony to gather mana, it will be impossible for you since you haven’t yet learned how to compress your mana.”

“So, I am being left out yet again?”

Recalling Hildebrand’s disappointment from not entering the library’s underground archive, I suggested, “Father, it might be a good idea to give Hildebrand the chance to experience mana replenishment if we can gather the required feystones. In Ehrenfest—children use feystones to participate in mana replenishment and assist with religious ceremonies soon after their baptism.”

“Soon after their baptism?!”

My father’s wives widened their eyes in astonishment, and Eglantine nodded with a smile and said, “Lady Rozemyne has served as their High Bishop since before she enrolled at the Royal Academy, after all.”

“Given Rozemyne’s unusual nature, using her as a standard seems nonsensical, but it remains a fact that familiarizing oneself with how to use mana is not a bad idea.”

Hildebrand seemed excited about the prospect of participating after hearing my suggestion. Having been ordered to stay at the Royal Academy before officially enrolling as a student, he was only familiar with Hannelore and Rozemyne, both of whom worked with him as part of the library committee. Despite the troubles they caused, the two possessed an abundance of mana and excellent grades. As a royal, it was only natural for Hildebrand to compare himself to them and feel unsatisfied with his own progress.

“I see… If Hildebrand is so eager to participate in this ritual, then I would like him to take on the responsibility of opening the door to the Farthest Hall on the day of the ritual for Ehrenfest’s preparations and then closing the door once the ritual is completed. What do you think, Hildebrand?”

Hildebrand beamed happily at Father’s suggestion and said, “I will gladly do it!” His attendant, Arthur, immediately stepped back and began discussing the process of opening and closing the door to the Farthest Hall with Father’s retainers.

“In that case, I shall go to participate in the ritual as a representative of the royal family.”

I mentioned this, assuming it would fall to me to clean up after Dunkelfelger’s and Ehrenfest’s messes, but Father replied, “No, we shall have as many members of the royal family in attendance as possible. I too shall participate.”

“Father?!”

“Zent Trauerqual?!”

Everyone in the room, including his retainers and guard knights, were surprised by Father’s declaration. If my father planned on visiting the Royal Academy, they would all be required to accompany him.

“Dunkelfelger and Ehrenfest are not the only duchies participating in the ritual, correct? Since we will be receiving such a large amount of mana from so many people, I should be present to thank the participants in person. Otherwise, Ehrenfest may face hostility from many duchies, even though they have provided us with valuable information and are planning to donate a substantial amount of mana.”

But Father’s retainers voiced their opposition to him attending the ritual, saying “Ehrenfest suggested conducting this ritual in the first place, so would it not make sense for them to deal with the consequences?”

Considering Father’s perpetual exhaustion from mana replenishment, they preferred him taking some time to rest rather than attending Ehrenfest’s ritual to protect them.

His complexion seems to have gotten even worse recently.

“I understand your concerns, but the information that Ehrenfest has brought us is exceedingly beneficial. Along with the information, they are even offering to provide us with a large quantity of mana. After doing so much for us, if we do not even take the time to protect them, they may not show us such goodwill in the future.”

One of Father’s retainers, who had served him since his time as a vassal, protested, “Still, Ehrenfest remained neutral during the civil war and did not provide you with their support! For the Zent to participate in one of their rituals regardless is…”

Some of Father’s long-serving retainers were deeply affected by Klassenberg’s actions during the civil war. They harbored bitterness towards any duchy that did not assist Father during Yurgenschmidt’s greatest time of need, especially those who called him a false king without a Grutrissheit.

In response to his retainer’s protest, Father said, “Ehrenfest remained neutral during the civil war, neither opposing nor aiding us. We must work towards forging alliances with them for the challenges that lie ahead, not dwell on the past. The true tests are yet to come.”

Continuing to govern the country without a Grutrissheit had become increasingly challenging. The inability to redraw duchy borders allowed insurgents from the former Werkestock duchy to infiltrate the Royal Academy. While finding Werkestock’s foundation might alleviate the situation, its location has remained hidden despite our concerted efforts, leading the duchy to steadily decline. Our inability to open and close the country gate put Ahrensbach in a position where it was the only duchy with foreign relations, causing issues across various fronts. Until the Grutrissheit was located, these problems would persist and escalate.

“Sigiswald, Anastasius. Does Ehrenfest or Rozemyne harbor any malicious intent towards us?”

“No, they harbor no such intent.” After making that clear, Sigiswald chuckled softly and continued, “However, it seems Rozemyne doesn’t hold us in the highest regard either. She’s deeply engrossed in her love for books. I’ve never encountered an archduke candidate who gave me such half-hearted replies without even looking away from her book.”

Upon hearing that, Hildebrand then shared an innocent revelation that left the room’s occupants displaying a complex array of expressions, “I share the same sentiment. Rozemyne doesn’t even glance at me when she’s absorbed in her reading. Yet, she seems to derive so much joy from it that I can’t bring myself to disturb her. Rozemyne truly loves books.”

Hildebrand’s carefree attitude stemmed from his predetermined future fate to step down as a royal, allowing him to grow up without worries. While his behavior might be deemed inappropriate for a royal, Lady Magdalena, Father’s third wife, played a significant role in influencing him.

I wasn’t very familiar with the details, as I was young and had minimal interaction at the time, but I heard that Lady Magdalena had approached Father with what seemed like a half-threatening tone, saying, “How can you refuse to make use of my feelings while the political tensions are so high? Klassenberg has already pledged their support to you, Lord Trauerqual, so there’s no turning back. Please use me to gain Dunkelfelger’s backing.”

It was not possible for her to become my father’s first wife since Dunkelfelger had only joined my father’s side at the end of the civil war, while my mother and his second wife had supported him from the beginning. Lady Magdalena acknowledged that the other duchies that had supported my father during the peak of the conflict would never accept that, and elected to become my father’s third wife instead.

I wonder if it is a blessing that Hildebrand inherited our father’s disposition instead of hers.

As I silently pondered the comparison between Hildebrand and Lady Magdalena, the conversation shifted to Rozemyne’s activities during the current semester.

She had seized first-in-class for two consecutive years but had skipped the awards ceremony both times. Eglantine suggested she was likely to secure first-in-class once again this year. In her first year, Rozemyne introduced various trends and played a role in bringing Eglantine and me together. In her second year, she enlisted Hildebrand into her library committee, despite the supposed restriction on his interactions with students.

As for this year, Rozemyne had scattered blessings while playing the harspiel, made her feystones shine while performing a dedication whirl, brought information about the library’s underground archive to the royal family, and was now attempting to assemble a large number of nobles in the Royal Academy to perform a Dedication Ritual.

“I truly cannot wait to meet this Rozemyne. I wonder what kind of girl she is.” Father mused while slowly stroking his chin. Hearing about her wasn’t enough to understand. Surely, allowing them to meet, if circumstances allowed, wouldn’t be wrong.

“I would suggest keeping your expectations low, Father. While she holds no malice, Rozemyne cannot be measured by noble standards.”

Father replied, “That is exactly why she is so interesting,” and shifted the conversation to decide who would attend the dedication ritual, “It is an opportunity to experience a true religious ceremony, so while I would personally like as many people from the royal family to attend as possible, we cannot all leave the royal palace at once…”

“It would make sense to prioritize the Zent and those of the next generation who will have to support Yurgenschmidt in the future. I shall stay behind,” my mother suggested, and Father’s second and third wives also stated their intention to stay behind while smiling.

Nahelache, currently my elder brother’s first wife—slated to become his second wife after his Starbind Ceremony with Adolphine—called out to my brother in a quiet voice and said, “Prince Sigiswald, please reach out to Lady Adolphine of Drewanchel and invite her to take part in the ritual as well.”

“Indeed. While it is true that the Starbinding has yet to be completed, she will one day need to shoulder the future of Yurgenschmidt together with you,” my mother began, prompting several others to echo her advice to my brother, urging him to invite Adolphine to the ritual. Eventually, he relented with a bitter smile.

It had been decided that Father, Sigiswald, Nahelache, and Adolphine would be taking part in the ritual. I looked at Eglantine, who was sitting beside me and said “Eglantine, what will you do? Do you not have lectures to attend?”

“I’ll ask my colleagues to reschedule the lectures so that I may participate in the ritual. I am also a member of the royal family, and I’m intrigued by the ceremony Lady Rozemyne will perform.”

Once the participants were confirmed, we immediately issued instructions. This season coincided with the winter socializing of other duchies, and Sovereignty residents with children would return home temporarily so that their children could attend the Royal Academy. Consequently, the Sovereignty’s population was at its lowest. However, this socializing was essential for gathering information about their home duchies before returning.

We truly need more information about Ehrenfest today, but the number of nobles from there is far too few.

Gaining insights into the rapidly developing Ehrenfest was crucial, but there were very few Sovereignty nobles originating from the duchy. Moreover, many of them were solitary individuals who prioritized their own interests, often remaining single and reluctant to return home. This seemed to be a characteristic of Ehrenfest.

Nonetheless, the Zent intended to leave the palace during a season already short on personnel. Accompanied by numerous guard knights, he’d need to ensure adequate protection without depleting the palace’s guard. It was a challenging issue to resolve.

“We should take every possible precaution if the Zent intends to participate in Ehrenfest’s ritual. Let’s bring as many guard knights as we can,” suggested Raublut, the knight commander.

However, the vice-commander, Loyalitat, disagreed, arguing, “All three princes have stated that Ehrenfest holds no ill will toward the royal family. While we must remain vigilant, reducing the palace’s guard isn’t necessary. Each royal family member should only need to be accompanied by their guard knights.”

Our destination was the Royal Academy, and the only potential threats were students. Additionally, only Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger would be aware of the royal family’s participation in the Dedication Ritual. No one else would anticipate it.

“Your viewpoints both hold merit. I leave it to you to determine the appropriate number of guard knights. However, Raublut, focus your vigilance on the Interduchy Tournament rather than this ritual,” Father instructed. Emphasizing the need to prevent a recurrence of last year’s attack implied that Loyalitat’s opinion will be given priority.

“In addition, scholars should start gathering empty feystones. With numerous participants, we will likely amass a significant amount of mana. It’s a rare windfall we cannot afford to squander,” Father added, prompting the scholars to spring into action, “Anastasius, request written details about the ritual from Ehrenfest, along with a participant list. I would like to know the names of those I will be thanking in advance.”

“Understood.”

◆

And so, the day of the ritual arrived.

Upon receiving a message from Hildebrand stating that the preparations had been completed, we made our way to the Farthest Hall in the Royal Academy. A grand red carpet adorned the path leading to the shrine, with offerings such as flowers and incense placed nearby—an unusual sight for me.

Ehrenfest and Dunkelfelger students buzzed around, their activities filled with purpose. Three figures, donned in the blue robes of temple priests, stood out amidst the busyness. While we were informed that the archnoble Hartmut, the new High Priest of Ehrenfest, would participate, it surprised me to see him dressed in the distinctive blue priest attire. What caught me off guard even more was the realization that the other two figures in blue robes were the archduke candidates from Ehrenfest. It seemed that Ehrenfest had really decided to have their archduke candidates actively participate in temple ceremonies.

Eglantine drew my attention and whispered to me with a giggle, “It appears Lady Rozemyne is taken aback.”

Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated the presence of so many royals. I saw her looking our way with wide eyes, clad in the white robes of a High Bishop. Despite her attempts to regain composure, her surprise lingered.

The students of Dunkelfelger gathered to offer their greetings, and Lestilaut spoke on their behalf, “Zent Trauerqual, may I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, the God of Life?”

“You may.”

Blessings, manifested as soft lights, emanated from their rings. Following this, Ehrenfest’s students presented their greetings in a similar manner. Rozemyne, in the white robes of a High Bishop, spoke on behalf of Ehrenfest, “Zent Trauerqual, may I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting, ordained by the harsh judgment of Ewigeliebe, the God of Life?”

“You may.”

“We are honored to have so many members of the royal family in attendance for today’s ritual.”

It’s nice to be the one giving her a shock for a change.

As I entertained that thought, I observed Rozemyne and the others exchanging greetings with Father. Immediately afterward, I had to suppress a gasp upon hearing her plan. She stated that guard knights were forbidden from entering the ceremonial hall, but she planned to use Schutzaria’s shield to identify individuals with malicious intentions.

Helplessly, we, the royal family, stood in a daze as our guard knights initiated a barrage of attacks to test the strength of the shield. The yellow, translucent barrier easily deflected each assault. The same shield had materialized at Ehrenfest’s spot during the previous Interduchy Tournament.

“It seems Lady Rozemyne was behind that as well.”

From a distance, it was unclear who had created the shield during the tournament, but now it was evident that Rozemyne was its creator.

Even as she faced relentless attacks, Rozemyne seemed at ease within her translucent shield, displaying more concern for the knights than for her own safety. I observed her growing flustered as the knights continued to be repelled.

To an outsider, it might have seemed as though Sovereign knights, draped in black capes, were exerting their full force against a child barely older than Hildebrand. What’s more, they hadn’t managed to land a single blow on her. My father cast a quick glance in my direction, as though harboring numerous thoughts, yet could only manage to pose a straightforward question, “Anastasius… Is that the Saint of Ehrenfest?”

“I’ve already mentioned, Father, she defies noble standards.”