In The Planning Stages

Due to a spirited conversation with Lady Muriella, I am now immersed in crafting the heartrending love tale of Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand. It’s rather daunting how easily one can be caught up in the moment.

In my first endeavor, aiming to obscure its association with Lady Rozemyne, I chose to draw inspiration from myths. Since my return to Jossbrenner, my days have been consumed in the castle book room, engrossed in the pursuit of books delving into the realms of mythology.

“Lueuradi,” my aunt inquired, “are you once again engrossed in mythology books today?”

“Yes, Auntie. I am delving further into the realms of divine knowledge, aspiring to acquire additional divine protections by the time of my graduation. The aub has entrusted me with the responsibility of conducting extensive research on the subject and sharing my findings with others.”

It’s not like I am abandoning my usual work to go to the book room. It’s a request from the aub himself, so it’s something I must prioritize over my regular duties.

“It’s quite astonishing to think that the divine protection of Bluanfah resides in your gentle, green eyes. I never anticipated that the aub would rely on you, especially over Fairziere,” my aunt remarked, casting a wry smile as she compared my older sister and me.

My aunt, the custodian of the book room key and a scholar, ultimately decided to entrust me with the key. Unlike my sister, who possessed qualities suitable for serving as a retainer to an archduke candidate, I am quite ordinary, making her evaluation not entirely unfounded.

Continuing, my aunt said, “With everyone away for the Archduke Conference, you might be the sole visitor to the book room, so please take good care of the key.”

“Yes,” I replied. “I’ll handle it with care.” I grasp the key with both hands, proceeding toward the book room. Although the castle book room is theoretically accessible to anyone upon application and payment of a deposit, the infrequent use is likely due to the deposit size and the application process. It primarily serves to archive new documents post-tax collection or for research preceding the Archduke Conference.

The reason I can easily borrow the key is thanks to my participation in Ehrenfest’s joint research project.

Participating in Ehrenfest’s joint research and receiving the blessing of the Goddess of Sprouts, Bluanfah, was a remarkable event in Jossbrenner. Subsequently, it gained widespread recognition through the announcement made by the aub during the feast celebrating spring.

Ever since then, I have been approached by many nobles with young children, all curious about how I obtained an additional divine protection. The explanations about Ehrenfest’s research have become so frequent that I feel like I might as well have been one of Ehrenfest’s apprentice scholars…

“I have finished reading all the myths on this shelf,” I muttered to myself. “I wonder if there are more on the other shelves.” In the book room of Jossbrenner, there aren’t many, but there are books on the gods. My late grandmother was a scholar who organized old documents and insisted on teaching me the ancient language.

In the aftermath of the civil war, my grandmother took it upon herself to instruct me in the ancient language. The widespread purge and the sudden migration of nobles to the Sovereignty resulted in a significant decline in individuals proficient in the ancient language. While the official explanation was that my grandmother had no other choice but to train me as the successor for her role, the truth was that, unlike my sister, my soft-spoken absent-minded nature rendered me unsuitable for the role of a retainer to an archduke candidate. Her underlying motive was a recognition that I might excel in a more specialized capacity away from the public eye. Now, as I delve into old books with ease, I find genuine appreciation for the circumstances that led to me acquiring this skill.

I harbored resentment towards my grandmother when I was mocked as a ‘noble who couldn’t write anything other than her own name,’ given that I had only been instructed in the ancient language until my baptism.

“Oh, I have discovered a book on the gods on this shelf,” I mentioned, eyeing the cover. ” This is the first time I’ve come across this one.”

In Jossbrenner, there were no proper librarians overseeing the book room. So, if you don’t thoroughly search the bookshelves yourself, you might miss the book you are looking for. Lady Muriella mentioned that Ehrenfest’s book room is efficiently managed following Lady Rozemyne’s system. The books are neatly organized by field, making it quite easy to locate them.

I would love to visit Ehrenfest’s book room at least once. However, it’s only common sense that individuals from other duchies aren’t allowed entry. I understand the reasoning behind it.

Though, if I could marry into Ehrenfest, maybe someday I could gain entry to their book room.

Considering things like this is probably why everyone says my head is in the clouds. I grabbed a book on the gods, taking care not to let the jingling chains get in the way of my reading. After putting the book on the reading desk, I unfastened the clasp closing it and opened the cover.

While standing and looking down at the book, my yellowish orange hair slid down from my shoulders. I want to tie it up behind me because it’s getting in the way of my reading, but if I were to be seen doing something like that in the book room, instead of having my attendants arrange it in my room, I would be scolded for being unladylike.

But returning home would waste a lot of time, and it’s a bit of a hassle to return the key only to borrow it once more, isn’t it?

I put my hand into the leather pouch on my waist, gripped my hair tie, and discreetly looked around to see if anyone was watching.

“Lueuradi, why are you skulking around with that sneaky look on your face?”

“S-Sister, why are you here?!”

“I’ve been asked by the aub to find books on religious ceremonies while he’s at the Archduke Conference.” Since my sister is still underage, she cannot attend the Archduke Conference. Therefore, she was probably asked to find books in the meantime. My sister looked at me with suspicion and asked, “Lueuradi, what are you up to?”

“I am here for a similar reason,” I responded. “The aub asked me to research about the gods as well.” I said this with a bit of pride, releasing my hand from the hair tie as I slowly pulled my hand out of the leather pouch. I silently breathed a sigh of relief that my sister didn’t discover I was trying to tie my hair up. However, my sister’s turquoise eyes remained sharp, staring at me with scrutiny.

In an attempt to divert my sister’s attention even slightly, I turned my gaze to the bookshelf and said, “If you are looking for references on religious ceremonies, there’s one book at the far right of that bookshelf.”

“Oh, really?” My sister responded, seemingly unconvinced.

“I’ve been searching for details on religious ceremonies as well,” I tried to assure her. “Since I couldn’t find any more, I am currently exploring books on the gods. However… I believe there might be relevant information on religious ceremonies at the temple.”

In response to my words, my sister looked puzzled and tilted her head, asking, “Are you sure there are books and reading materials in the temple? I doubt anyone would read in a place like that…”

“Yes, I think so, but I am skeptical if anyone at the temple can decipher them… Nevertheless, considering the temple’s significance in hosting religious ceremonies and Lady Rozemyne’s extensive knowledge in both religious ceremonies and the gods, I believed there might be something relevant there. Still, we can’t be sure that the temple in Ehrenfest and Jossbrenner are similar enough for that to be true.”

I understood its importance, having had the concept explained to me, and participated in the Dedication Ritual. But I still find it hard to believe there is a temple in which the archducal family freely goes in and out, nor that an archduke candidate is serving as the High Bishop.

“As plausible as that sounds, I simply refuse to go to the temple. Once everyone is back from the Archduke Conference, I will just instruct someone from the temple to deliver them to me,” my sister stated, seemingly satisfied. With that sorted out, I shifted my attention away and resumed reading the mythology book.

In this book, there were several myths I had yet to read, and there was also a story about Mestionora, the same one which Klassenberg and Dunkelfelger spoke of after the Dedication Ritual at the Royal Academy. “So, this story… It’s also present in Jossbrenner.”

I initially assumed that if it wasn’t in Ehrenfest, it might not be here either. However, to my surprise, I found a similar story. This narrative could prove highly beneficial for creating a love story inspired by Mestionora. I began noting down all the key points on a wooden board.

◆

I dedicated my time to reading and transcribing books until the fifth bell chimed. Returning the key at the sound of the bell, I headed back to my workplace. My scholarly duties revolve around organizing and delivering packages and letters from different Giebes to the designated department and vice versa.

On days flooded with packages, I must activate the teleportation circle multiple times, a task that consumes a considerable amount of mana. And since archnobles are usually retainers to the archducal family it means that in this department most individuals are mednobles all too familiar with using rejuvenation potions and taking turns handling the activation. So as an archnoble, my presence is highly valued.

But not for reasons I am fond of… When I am here they mostly rely on me for just my mana…

While the Archduke Conference is in session, and the higher-ups, including the aub, are away, there’s a brief period of reduced traffic through the teleportation circle, but it’s not entirely idle. Following my supervisor’s guidance, I continued to manage the transportation of items.

◆

Finishing all my assigned tasks, I made my way home without delay. Once my attendants had helped me change into more casual attire, I swiftly withdrew into my hidden room. Given my tendency to mutter to myself, I seek the privacy of my hidden room when I wish to keep my thoughts to myself.

I can’t have anyone see me crafting a heartrending love tale about Lady Rozemyne, after all.

Upon entering my hidden room, I wasted no time in pondering the narrative structure of the old tale I had transcribed at the book room.

“Lady Rozemyne is without a doubt the Goddess of Wisdom, Mestionora. But which god should Lord Ferdinand be?”

The choice of which god to associate with one’s partner is crucial. The gods in question are the God of Concealment, Verbergen, the God of Guidance, Erwachlehren, and the God of Growth, Anwachs. They are male gods deeply involved with Mestionora from birth to maturity, so choosing from among them might be suitable.

The God of Concealment, Verbergen, played a pivotal role in the birth of Mestionora. This involved receiving a plea for cooperation from the former God of Binding, Erwaermen, and subsequently concealing the Goddess of Earth, Geduldh, from the God of Life, Ewigeliebe. Without Verbergen’s assistance, Mestionora’s birth wouldn’t have been possible. Moreover, Verbergen continued to extend his influence to keep Mestionora hidden from Ewigeliebe even after her birth.

“Just thinking about the time when Mestionora sought refuge under Verbergen’s protection, evading Ewigeliebe, and acknowledging the advent of Bluanfah, I can’t help but feel restless. Opting for Verbergen as the romantic interest appears to be a fitting choice.”

If you only read the story about Mestionora, it’s easy to imagine several scenes where Bluanfah visits with the help of Verbergen, so it seems fine if Verbergen is the partner.

However, in alternate tales, Verbergen is a deity entangled in numerous affairs, concealing many actions. Considering the undertones I’ve gleaned from prior narratives, casting Verbergen as the romantic interest might transform Mestionora’s heartrending first love story into a grim tale of an inexperienced girl being manipulated by a deceitful adult.

Utilizing Verbergen, we might struggle to convey the trust and Liebeskhilfe’s subtle threads between Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand effectively.

“For Lady Rozemyne, who was raised in the temple, Lord Ferdinand being the only person she can rely on is crucial. Perhaps the God of Guidance, Erwachlehren, or the God of Growth, Anwachs, would be better choices.”

If I focus on depicting Lord Ferdinand as one of the gods responsible for her upbringing, like the God of Guidance, Erwachlehren, or the God of Growth, Anwachs, in order to counter Ewigeliebe, then Lord Ferdinand might be more suitably represented by one of these Gods.

“But, then how will I turn it into a heartrending love story?”

From the texts I’ve read, those two were essentially just educators to her. Mestionora is the only daughter born with divine power among the children of Geduldh. Due to her special birth, she was carefully raised by many gods, and divine instruments were often lent to her for protection from the persistently life-threatening Ewigeliebe. In essence, the gods that were her educators are not a very good choice to rely on.

I am aiming for a touching love story, not a divine parenting chronicle.

Turning the gods who played the role of educators into romantic partners seems challenging given my goal, it simply lacks the elements for a heartrending love story. Substantial alterations would be necessary.

“What if I were to choose Erwaermen as the romantic partner, considering that he would have been involved with Mestionora from birth through her growth?”

Ewigeliebe, the God of Life, naturally had a need to create new life—and in fact, this was the expectation the God of Darkness placed on him when he allowed him to marry Geduldh. However, Ewigeliebe held it undesirable for Geduldh to give birth to more gods, as they had to be nurtured in her womb for much too long.

As his subordinate at the time, Erwaermen, the God of Binding, was furious at Ewigeliebe’s selfishness. Erwaermen rescued the Goddess of Childbirth, Entrinduge, alongside the rest of the Goddess of Earth’s subordinates, so that she could exercise her power. Then, with the help of the Goddess of Light and the Goddess of Water, they brought Geduldh, then pregnant with Mestionora, to Entrinduge.

Relieved that Geduldh was saved and Mestionora was born safely, Erwaermen felt profound regret over the fact that his binding power linked Ewigeliebe and Geduldh, causing this entire situation. Worried that using his powers might bring more misfortune, Erwaermen relinquished his power of binding to Liebeskhilfe and left the divine realm.

Even though he relinquished his power of binding, it didn’t imply a loss of his divine abilities, which were disproportionate compared to the world of man. Erwaermen descended into a world blanketed in white by Ewigeliebe’s power and infused the land with his own mana.

Erwaermen prayed to the gods, pledging to safeguard the humans that Ewigeliebe had abandoned to the white land as a form of atonement. His persistent prayers aimed at securing a life of happiness for Geduldh and Mestionora.

Growing up, Mestionora observed Erwaermen from the divine realm, knowing he had relinquished his divine status to rescue her and her mother, Geduldh. Hoping to rescue him if she could, she called out to him.

However, Erwaermen instead pleaded with Mestionora to bestow her blessings upon those humans who were facing greater struggles than he was. He desired something that could ensure their prayers reached the gods.

Even though Mestionora couldn’t hear the prayers nor the words of the humans, she descended to the land shielded by Erwaermen. Into a realm where structures stood crafted entirely of white, deceiving the watchful eyes of Ewigeliebe.

Inside the constructed temple, she was able to witness as the High Bishop fervently offered prayers. Yet, Mestionora remained unable to discern their supplications. Erwaermen explained that the High Bishop, drawn to the temple by his abundant mana, joined in the prayer. However, unlike Erwaermen, the earnest pleas of the humans failed to reach the gods.

Mestionora sought guidance from the gods. Erwaermen aspired to offer salvation to those who earnestly prayed, and he wished for Mestionora to realize that aspiration. Those gods who were once subordinates of the Goddess of Earth, having been rescued from the God of Life, were the ones that heeded that prayer. They were aware of Erwaermen’s unwavering efforts to save Mestionora, and did not oppose granting Erwaermen’s wish in turn.

Those who fervently prayed in the temple were bestowed with schtappes to convey their prayers to the gods. The High Bishop, most dedicated in prayer, was granted the privilege to transcribe the Grutrissheit and became the inaugural Zent.

“If I don’t write about Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand, I might delve into the theme of unrequited love between Mestionora and the first Zent, who devoutly offers prayers, sensing the arrival of Bluanfah at first sight and dancing alongside the Goddess of Flowers, Efflorelume. However…”

On second thought, considering the situation of Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand, I think Mestionora and Erwaermen would be a better fit. Erwaermen, with pure intentions, put at stake his divinity in order to secure Mestionora’s birth. Then, a farewell brought about by regretting his actions and relinquishing his divine powers. Only for them to be reunited when Mestionora grows into a divine beauty. It’s as if an ordonnanz is bringing important news—scenes come and go vividly.

“They both share feelings for each other, but a divide in their positions has emerged due to the choices he made, causing anguish for Erwaermen. Mestionora, brought up with tales about him from the surrounding gods, observes Erwaermen from the divine realm as she tenderly nurtures rafel. A bond exists between them, yet they can only assist each other within limits, and sadly, they are two souls destined never to unite.”

Beautiful, isn’t it? I find it quite fitting. I am already captivated by the notion of crafting the founding story of our nation, illustrating the heartrending love between Mestionora and Erwaermen.

“Given Erwaermen’s divine origins, it’s challenging for anyone in Yurgenschmidt to draw a resemblance to him. This approach ensures that no one would associate the story with Lord Ferdinand.”

Luckily, I do not know much about Lord Ferdinand, so I can reference the Royal Academy Love Stories and Knight Stories published in Ehrenfest to figure out what kind of gentleman Erwaermen should be.

“Will I be able to finish it by the start of the winter before the Royal Academy begins?”

Glancing at my notes, I murmured under my breath. It is my maiden attempt, so I am uncertain about the timeframe and if I can make it. But precisely because of that, my normal timidity is no longer an option for me. Unfolding the Ehrenfest paper that Lady Muriella kindly sold to me at a low price, I picked up my pen.

I am up for it. I’ll craft the tender tale of Mestionora’s first love. Goddess of Sprouts, Bluanfah, and Goddess of Language, Grammaratur! Please bless me with your divine protection. Praise be to the gods!