bookworm

My return to the Royal Academy came soon after I received the hairpins.
“If at any point Rozemyne seems like she is about to go on another rampage, stop her with all you have,” Ferdinand said to my guard knights. They were the first to step forward onto the teleportation circle and disappear.
I would be leaving with Rihyarda. Before we went, however, the hairpin for Eglantine, the song dedicated to the Goddess of Light, boxes filled with small trial bottles of rinsham, things for Hirschur, and any other remaining items were all sent off.
“We’ll be following to see the Interduchy Tournament. Try not to lose control of yourself. Moderation is key. Got it?”
“I know, Sylvester. I need to leave land for Charlotte to conquer when she arrives, no?”
“Rozemyne, are you her ally or mine?!” Sylvester exclaimed, his eyes wide.
“I do not understand the full meaning of your question, but is it not natural that I would be Charlotte’s ally? I am her older sister,” I said, proudly puffing out my chest. Sylvester cradled his head and groaned in response.
Ferdinand gave Sylvester a few light pats on the back before looking at me with a mixture of resignation and exasperation. “There is no point in thinking about this; absolutely nothing is going through Rozemyne’s empty head right now,” he said.
“Rude. I spend every day executing my ideas and thinking of ways to be the best older sister for Charlotte.”
“Yes, yes. Do your best for Charlotte’s sake. But think of nothing more than that. In any case, I have told Justus to gather intelligence. Bring him with you to tea parties whenever you can.”
Men were forbidden from attending most tea parties, where the secrets of girls were normally shared. It wasn’t often that I could bring Hartmut or other male scholars with me.
“You want me to bring Justus to tea parties? Does that mean...?”
“Do not make me say it. Your assumptions are correct.”
I was being told to have Justus cross-dress so that I could bring him to tea parties, but wouldn’t that just lead to people assuming I was the one with the weirdo cross-dressing attendant rather than Traugott?
“Is it just me, or does Ehrenfest have an unusually large collection of absolute weirdos? There’s Professor Hirschur, Justus... I would not like to be considered among them,” I said, thinking about what to do if people started to assume I was weird by association. Ferdinand, Karstedt, and Sylvester all made inscrutable faces.
“Perhaps, at times, ignorance is bliss...” Ferdinand mused.
“What?”
“Just go,” he said, shooing me away with his hand. I stood next to Rihyarda on the teleportation circle, feeling discontent, and felt the mana start to move.
A Week of Socializing
“You’re late, Rozemyne!” Wilfried declared. He was waiting for me in the dormitory with his head held high, his hands on his hips, and his feet planted firmly on the ground. He looked just as Sylvester had when I had arrived at the castle, and he had said pretty much the same thing too.
Like father, like son.
“I have returned, dear brother. Do recall, though, that it was Aub Ehrenfest and Ferdinand who set the date for my return. Direct your anger at them, not me.”
“But thanks to you, I’ve had to endure some of the worst days of my life!”
It seemed that, once the real socializing had started, Ehrenfest had received incomparably more tea party invitations than during the years prior. Unable to refuse invitations from higher-ranking duchies, Wilfried had been forced to attend and give nothing but empty, formal replies. There were also more invitations from other ranks and professions, all of whom wanted to know more about our duchy.
Having to attend more tea parties than usual was bad enough, but getting more attention meant duchies of similar ranks were even more aggressive and probing. The Ehrenfest students, who had up until this point been largely ignored, had no idea what to do. Hirschur would normally be the one to guide and instruct them as their dormitory supervisor, but it seemed she wasn’t going to leave her research under any circumstances. There was also a considerable time lag between Ehrenfest sending questions and getting answers; Wilfried asked me to understand how he had been completely isolated with enemies on all sides and no assistance.
Look, I know how you feel, but that’s not entirely my fault. If you’re going to be mad at anyone, shouldn’t it be Professor Hirschur, not me?
“It’s because you socialized with Prince Anastasius and the archduke candidate from Klassenberg...”
“I did not socialize with them because I wanted to; they invited me, and I had no choice but to comply. Would you have refused them?”
“I’m struggling precisely because I can’t refuse them!”
Socializing with greater duchies had evidently been put on pause when Wilfried told them the date I was due to return. Rihyarda smiled as she watched him desperately try to convey just how much he had suffered in my absence.
“Wilfried, my boy, if you want to have a conversation like this, how about we find someplace to sit first? You have more to say to milady, don’t you?”
“That’s right!” Judithe interjected, stepping forward. “I also have a lot to speak to Lady Rozemyne about!”
Judithe had been the only one of my apprentice knight retainers to remain in the Royal Academy. She had initially planned to return to Ehrenfest and continue her work as soon as she finished her lessons, but the ditter rematch with Dunkelfelger had delayed this. She had then gotten wrapped up in Royal Academy socializing due to being my retainer, foiling her plan entirely.
“I passed all my classes! They didn’t let me go back to Ehrenfest, though, so I couldn’t guard you! It’s not that I messed up or anything!” Judithe exclaimed, shooting Wilfried a side-look.
He merely shrugged in response. “How could I have let her go back to Ehrenfest?”
It seemed that the sudden increase in tea party invitations and the discussions that came with them had forced all those from Ehrenfest to mobilize, since we lacked the population to handle the situation otherwise. Everyone had needed to finish their classes as fast as they could manage, boldly challenging and passing their exams to get on their feet.
“Now, now,” Rihyarda said. “Save those words for the common room. Given milady’s health, things will only get worse if she collapses. I’ll take her things to her room.” She urged Wilfried forward with a light push on the back before heading for my room.
I watched as Rihyarda climbed the stairs, and it was then that I noticed someone pass her on their way down—someone with lively brown eyes and a truly excited expression. It was Justus. Traugott was there too, looking exhausted as he was practically dragged along behind him.
“It has been too long, Lady Rozemyne.”
“I have heard you served the Plantin Company well, Justus. They survived the two years I was absent in large part because of you, and for that, I thank you. I look forward to your continued service.”
“I am being blessed with unusual experiences thanks to you, milady. I will do my best to live up to your expectations.”
As I was speaking to Justus, Traugott’s eyes wandered as though he was trying to think of what to say. In the end, he settled on looking at the ground. His happy, confident smile was completely gone, replaced with a despondent look. I could only imagine how severely his family had scolded him in Ehrenfest.
I considered whether I should say something to Traugott, but before I even had the chance, Justus gave him a sharp elbow. It was a quick movement, and judging by the grunt that escaped Traugott when it landed, it was intended to hurt.
The polite smile vanished from Justus’s face; instead, he glared at Traugott with an expression so cold that it looked like it belonged to someone else entirely. “Traugott, don’t you have something to say?” he asked. “What’s wrong with you? Speak up.”
Traugott gritted his teeth and slowly knelt before me, all the while cradling his side where he had been elbowed. “My shallow thinking led to me being unthinkably rude. I am truly sorry, Lady Rozemyne. I apologize from the bottom of my heart.”
I opened my mouth to forgive him, but Justus narrowed his brown eyes and stopped me. “Traugott deserves no words of compassion, Lady Rozemyne; he has committed sins which must not be forgiven so easily.”
My other retainers all nodded in agreement. I silently thanked Justus for having stopped me before I could reflexively forgive Traugott.
“In any case, milady—Lord Ferdinand told me the other day to start training the scholars, but what exactly does he want me to do?” Justus asked.
“I need to raise individuals who can support the growing printing industry. To that end, I will need people who can interact with commoners and who know how the industry works. Above all, however, they must have a latent talent for scholar work. That is what I wish for you to do.”
The way Traugott followed behind us as we entered the common room made him look like the attendant rather than Justus. He couldn’t even say anything about it, since Justus had been sent by his family to whip him into shape. Maybe he had tried to complain already, only to get beaten down.
“Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne. We have been eagerly awaiting your return.” The students in the common room greeted me when I arrived, their faces positively lighting up with relief. This year’s socializing must have been just as hard as Wilfried had said.
“And so I have returned, everyone. I hear from Wilfried that things have been difficult in my absence. I would like to know what happened while I was in Ehrenfest,” I said. I then listened to what everyone had to say, regardless of age or faction, much like I did in the temple.
“In truth, we have not yet held any tea parties for archduke candidates from other duchies. There is no helping that, as no other duchy needed any candidates to return home for the Dedication Ritual, but...”
Last year, when there had been no Ehrenfest archduke candidates, the archnoble girls had attended tea parties with other duchies just fine. Now that I was here, however, it was considered an insult for them to send invitations to the archduke candidates of other duchies. This has resulted in us lagging behind when it came to socializing with other archduke candidates.
“I imagine there is a reason for it, but why did you not hold the tea parties yourself, Wilfried?”
“I don’t know much about holding tea parties, since men aren’t normally supposed to hold them. I also had male socializing to handle. My hands were full enough just visiting all the tea parties the higher-ranking duchies were inviting us to.”
For men, socializing involved holding and attending small hunting tournaments or proving one’s strength through noble games such as gewinnen while chatting and sharing information. Tea and sweets were served as well, but unlike at the tea parties for girls, they were far from the main event. Wilfried had been forced to keep up with male socializing while also attending a slew of tea parties filled with girls from higher-ranking duchies.
“I see you all worked very hard in my absence,” I said. “I suppose now it is my turn to begin socializing. What I must do first is... visit the library to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana.”
Everyone gathered collectively narrowed their eyes. “Wait. Where’s that coming from?” Wilfried asked. “Your priority is your meeting with Prince Anastasius.”
“Klassenberg has asked to be informed of your return as well.”
“The library, when you have all the higher-ranked duchies asking after you?!”
“There is also the ditter rematch that Professor Rauffen requested upon hearing of your return...”
“There is no time; we will want to hold at least one tea party for the archduke candidates of other duchies before the Interduchy Tournament.”
I felt my soul leave my body as everyone listed out all the things I needed to do before I could go to the library. Having to cram so much into the few days that remained before the tournament and the graduation ceremony was completely unreasonable if you asked me. I turned around, hoping to discuss this with Rihyarda, and then I remembered she had gone to put away my luggage. I looked around the common room, but only Justus seemed as though he might have good answers for me.
I’d rather not have to do this, but he was Ferdinand’s retainer... Both Lutz and Benno also gave him high praise. Surely I can trust him to give me advice.
“Justus,” I said. He blinked in surprise from where he stood behind Traugott, having not expected me to single him out; then he walked over and knelt before me.
“Yes, milady?”
“What do I need to do first? If we had Ferdinand here, what approach do you think he would take?”
“Am I permitted to speak freely?”
“We have no dorm supervisor to rely on. You may speak not as Traugott’s attendant, but as Ferdinand’s scholar.”
“Understood. As you wish, milady. Apprentice, give me her schedule.” Justus took the schedule from Hartmut and then lowered his eyes in thought. “What we need to confirm first is how many people can be mobilized in this upcoming socializing season. Have preparations for the Interduchy Tournament been completed?”
I hadn’t been present, so I looked around the room for an answer. Wilfried, his retainers, and Hartmut all furrowed their brows.
“...No. To be honest, we just haven’t had the time or the manpower,” Wilfried said.
“We have made some progress, but preparations are far from complete,” Hartmut added.
Justus counted the remaining days on his fingers and then muttered, “Seems like we’ve got some tight time constraints...” under his breath before turning to all those gathered. “Very well. Everyone but milady and her retainers should now prioritize preparing for the Interduchy Tournament, for the aubs of other duchies are going to be present. Lord Wilfried, lead the preparations with your retainers.”
Justus watched as Wilfried and his retainers nodded in response; then he turned his attention back to me. “Milady, your highest priority is to work through all the backlogged socializing. I would suggest that you first request a meeting with the prince. From there, send ordonnanzes to the greater duchies who attempted to meet with you and announce your return, as well as the fact that Ehrenfest will soon be hosting a tea party. Once the date is established for your meeting with the prince, we can decide on a date for the tea party and send invitations to all other duchies. We can finish the bulk of socializing all at once by having as many duchies as possible participate.”
I could already feel a huge weight lifting from my shoulders. With such a concrete plan, I would be able to secure at least a little time in the library.
“You may go to the library to replenish Schwartz’s and Weiss’s mana when the time is right,” Justus said. “Of course, that is all you will be doing there; you will not have time to read.”
“Ngh...”
“It is possible that greater duchies will summon you even after our upcoming tea party is announced. Furthermore, considering how many we are going to lose to the Interduchy Tournament preparations, Ehrenfest does not have the leeway to allow for so many of your retainers to be stuck with you in the library. Do you understand my position?”
“...Yes,” I conceded. Going to the library meant bringing along several of my retainers, thereby putting them out of commission. I couldn’t just wander around alone.
Wilfried looked at Justus, shocked that he would so casually bar me from the library. He then looked at me, concerned that I might be on the verge of exploding. But of course, even I could show some restraint when we were in such dire straits.
I’ll be fine; there are books here in the dorm that I can read. I’d much rather be holed up in the library, though...
“Justus, what about Dunkelfelger’s request for a rematch?” Wilfried asked.
Justus raised an eyebrow. “That is not even worth thinking about. Naturally, we will refuse. There must be some kind of misunderstanding for Professor Rauffen to be challenging Lady Rozemyne—unlike Lord Ferdinand, she is not an apprentice knight, and as a first-year, she is not meant to participate in games of ditter. Times have changed, and ditter is now a sport for apprentice knights, so we should not have any trouble refusing. Luckily, the Interduchy Tournament is quickly approaching.”
Justus, having attended the Academy at the same time as Rauffen, flatly rejected the idea of a rematch. He was completely right in doing so, but surely refusing a higher-ranking duchy wouldn’t be so easy.
“This is a request from Dunkelfelger, though. How are we to refuse them?” I asked.
“We shall leave that to Professor Hirschur. Not only does it come under her remit, but she also has much experience refusing Rauffen from the days Lord Ferdinand attended the Academy. It will pose no problem for her.”
Oh yeah... Justus was Ferdinand’s attendant.
“But how do we ask Professor Hirschur to do that?” Wilfried asked, clearly concerned. “She won’t leave her lab.”
Justus had an immediate answer. “Professor Hirschur will readily work for us if we use the packages from Lord Ferdinand as bargaining chips. She is quite a valuable asset when used properly—after all, she is talented enough to have joined the Sovereignty.”
Ferdinand had been challenged to ditter games nonstop back in his school days, and since Hirschur had wanted to keep using him as a lab assistant, she had apparently engaged in constant battles with Rauffen where she refused them all. Securing another victory would be easy, it seemed.
“You suddenly seem so reliable, Justus...” I murmured.
“Oh? What did you think of me before?”
I thought you were a weirdo who just went around doing whatever interested you, even to the point of cross-dressing to gather intelligence.
Justus gave a sly grin as though he had read my thoughts. “Gathering intelligence is my job, you know,” he said under his breath.
That was true, but as far as I had seen, it was much more of a hobby to him than anything. To be honest, I couldn’t believe he was actually this competent. Now I knew why Ferdinand treasured him as a retainer despite him being so weird.
“Now then, milady—let us discuss the meeting with the prince and the tea party in another room,” Justus said, prompting Lieseleta to leave the common room to secure a meeting room for us. He then looked over at Wilfried and the others. “Everyone else, split into groups based on profession and then gather around Lord Wilfried’s attendants to discuss the upcoming Interduchy Tournament. We have no time to waste; think and act carefully, such that all your time is used to its fullest.”
With Justus having concluded his speech—and in a very Ferdinand-like manner—everyone began moving around to follow his instructions. To think that having a competent adult who could give clear instructions would be such a boon...

By the time Lieseleta came to get us, the apprentice knights, apprentice scholars, and apprentice attendants had all split into groups to discuss the Interduchy Tournament. They had the energy of a classroom prior to a sports festival or a cultural festival. I slyly watched them as I exited the common room and entered the nearby meeting room that had been prepared for us.
“Inviting all the duchies at once will result in an event of a larger scale than initially planned,” Justus said. “If we do not have Lord Wilfried provide assistance on the day of, I believe you will find things quite difficult, considering that you have spent so little time with the other students.”
“He will surely be willing to help for just one day,” I replied.
Rihyarda entered, having finished preparing my room, and we discussed the proper language to use with royalty. I then sent an ordonnanz to Anastasius, reporting that I had returned and that I wanted to set up a meeting to deliver the hairpin.
As we waited for a response, I informed Hartmut and Philine that Elvira and I would be handling the continued growth of the Ehrenfest printing industry. I also told them that Justus would be training the apprentice scholars.
“As this is a new industry, it is important that the next aub be involved in its machinations,” I explained. “For that reason, Wilfried’s, Charlotte’s, Melchior’s, and my apprentice scholars will all participate, as will scholars sent by giebes who have existing experience working with commoners.”
“Lady Rozemyne, will I really be involved in such an important industry...?” Philine choked out in a fearful voice. As I saw her pale face and wavering light-green eyes, I suddenly recalled something Damuel had said to me—that he had endured much envy over becoming my guard knight and growing his mana so much despite being a mere laynoble. Philine was a laynoble too, so the same terrible thing had to be happening to her as well.
“If you fear the consequences of participating in the printing industry, I can have others fulfill the role,” I said.
“...That won’t be necessary. I have resolved to make books with you, Lady Rozemyne. I will not turn my back on that decision,” Philine replied, her fists clenched with determination. Those very same hands trembled with fear, but her voice was clear and strong. I couldn’t help but smile at her conviction.
“Hartmut, I will do what I can myself, but please keep an eye out to ensure that Philine is not antagonized by the other scholars.”
“As you wish,” Hartmut responded.
I told Hartmut and Philine that they were going to be trained to be key figures in the printing industry and that they would need to learn from Justus during the short period he was here. It was around then that the ordonnanz returned.
“Come tomorrow at fifth bell; I wish to gift the hairpin to Eglantine as soon as possible,” came Anastasius’s voice. The message repeated thrice before the white bird returned to being a yellow feystone. I sent my reply of acknowledgment and then turned to Brunhilde and Lieseleta.
“If my meeting with Prince Anastasius is tomorrow, when can we hold the tea party? We need to write the letters of invitation accordingly, correct?”
“I believe it will be possible in five—no, four days,” Brunhilde said. “Finishing the tea party sooner rather than later would be ideal; our visitors will need to prepare for the Interduchy Tournament just as we do. And, incidentally... we have to prepare for Angelica’s graduation as well, don’t we?” She looked at the girl in question, while Lieseleta gave a firm nod of agreement.
“I brought my costume with me,” Angelica said, her head tilted in vague confusion. “I don’t think there’s anything else I need to do.”
Brunhilde’s eyebrows shot up in anger. “Do you not need to prepare for the stage as much as possible?! You are blessed with such beauty; it would be a waste to not wash your hair with rinsham and adorn you with hairpins to emphasize Ehrenfest trends!”
“Sister, Father and Mother informed me that you have yet to decide on your hairstyle, makeup, and the like. You used guard duty at the temple to escape these discussions, no?”
Lieseleta’s observation made Angelica sadly lower her eyes. Her long eyelashes cast small shadows over her face, making her look like the very picture of a wounded young woman, but in reality, that was the face she pulled whenever she was feeling lazy. I had gotten pretty good at seeing through her deceitful expressions, and of course, Lieseleta was just as good—she made an exasperated face and then gave a knowing smile.
“I will pick a hairstyle that suits you perfectly, Sister, so at least play nice on the day.”
“If you say so, Lieseleta. I’ll play nice,” Angelica said with a truly melancholic nod. She was the spitting image of a sorrowful princess being married off to another country for political reasons, paired with a man she had no feelings for, but it was all just an act. Incidentally, while she was cripplingly lazy when it came to formal affairs, she was a very dedicated guard knight—she would invest a great amount of time strengthening the feystone for her knight armor and embroidering the magic circles on her cape.
“I know that you do not care much for wearing anything that does not increase your fighting potential, Sister, but you must not bring shame to the man who will be escorting you,” Lieseleta continued.
I blinked several times and then looked at Angelica. Lieseleta hadn’t mentioned their “father” or “grandfather” there; she had said “the man.” In other words, Angelica had an actual escort.
“Who is Angelica’s escort?” I asked. “Not family, I presume?”
“What? Lady Rozemyne, do you not know? Sister, have you told no one else...?”
“I have heard nothing.”
Lieseleta looked at me, then at Angelica, and then at everyone else. Upon seeing her sister making a puzzled expression as though this had nothing to do with her, she frowned with deep concern before forcing an unconvincing smile. “If nobody knows, I suppose it can be a fun surprise to look forward to.”
Who’s Angelica’s date...? Now I’m really curious.
Justus and Preparing for the Interduchy Tournament
“Justus has said that he will be accompanying you for all of today, milady. Lord Sylvester and Ferdinand may have ordered it, but are you certain you’re fine with this?” Rihyarda asked me first thing in the morning. She had a strict look on her face; Traugott and I were switching attendants for the day, and she was no doubt experiencing a sizable headache knowing that her own son was cross-dressing to serve as a female attendant.
“I am a bit concerned about this myself, but the information Wilfried and I have simply isn’t enough. We have no choice. Not to mention, Justus was recommended to me by Ferdinand himself. He has my full faith.”
Also, I hate to say this when Rihyarda is so worried, but I kinda want to see Justus cross-dress. Out of morbid curiosity, of course—in the same way one might want to see a horror movie.
I would be spending my morning at the library replenishing Schwartz’s and Weiss’s mana; then, in the afternoon, I was going to meet with Anastasius. Justus was due to be accompanying me as my attendant, which meant Rihyarda would be serving Traugott.
“Justus always focuses on the work he likes doing most, so he’s probably leaving dealing with Traugott for last. I’ll have to make sure he’s doing his attendant work properly...” Rihyarda said, her dark eyes gleaming. There was no doubt in my mind that her check was going to be very thorough.

After breakfast, we discussed the Interduchy Tournament in the common room until the library opened. In Earth terms, the tournament was like a combination of a sports festival, a cultural festival, and a career fair, during which students would show off their skills to their guardians, the aubs, and Sovereign royalty. Some people would spin their wheels trying to prove themselves to their significant other’s parents, while some professors used the occasion to publish their research, despite it supposedly being a place for students. All in all, it was a time and place for all sorts of wacky happenings.
For apprentice knights, the Interduchy Tournament was all about the ditter, when they would compete to defeat feybeasts produced by the professors’ magic as quickly as possible. It was the star competition of the tournament, since you could tell who won at a glance and it involved flashy battles during which everyone played distinct roles.
There was a blatant disparity in power between the greater duchies, who were populous enough to choose the very best knights for their games, and the lesser duchies, who were forced to send out all of their knights no matter their skill levels. However, that too was part of a duchy’s strength.
Despite its size, Ehrenfest was much closer to being a lesser duchy than a middle duchy in terms of population. We had to compensate for our lack of manpower with individual skill, though judging by what I had seen of our apprentices, we were doing a rather poor job—or rather, that is to say, we still had much room to grow. Our ranking would surely rise as our apprentices increased their mana through compression, studied more feybeasts, and practiced coordinating in fights.
“Angelica and I will lead the fighting this year, with Leonore instructing us based on past tournament results and the weak points of whatever feybeasts we’re up against,” Cornelius said. “Unfortunately, we still aren’t yet capable of anything resembling proper coordination.”
Angelica nodded. The games with Dunkelfelger had taught everyone the importance of working together, but practice had only just begun. We would probably do better next year, since Bonifatius had said that he would train the apprentices for me once spring came.
“Incidentally, I plan to give Angriff’s blessing to the apprentices before the ditter game, but would that be considered cheap or unfair?” I asked.
“Your blessings will be a key part of our strategy,” Leonore replied. “There is nothing more confidence-inducing than you blessing our victory in the dormitory before we leave.” Her implication that it was something best done out of sight of the other duchies was enough for me to guess it was on the darker side of being morally gray.
Well, given that Dunkelfelger already calls me a scheming trickster, I suppose it’s fine...
For apprentice scholars, the tournament was a place to announce their research on magic tools, improved potion recipes, and other such inventions. One would sell their technology to the Sovereignty with the compiled research results and completed products in hand. Ferdinand had earned a literal fortune announcing his original magic tools here and selling them to the Sovereignty. Ever since his graduation, those from Ehrenfest had considered this part of the tournament little more than a place for Hirschur to announce her research results.
“Hartmut, will you be announcing anything?” I asked.
“You are my subject of study at the moment, Lady Rozemyne, but I currently lack any conclusions worth announcing.”
Is it just me, or was that response genuinely terrifying?
“To be more precise, I am researching the difference between the magecraft we learn in the Royal Academy, and the blessings and divine protection you use, Lady Rozemyne. In the Royal Academy, we learn to use the divine protection of the gods only upon acquiring our schtappes, but you can use them even without one, correct?”
“Do we not all give blessings during our greetings?” I replied. Even without a schtappe, everyone could perform blessings using the feystone for expelling mana they received during their baptism ceremony.
Hartmut widened his orange eyes. “I’m referring not to blessings that simply expel mana, but to prayers made in the name of a god that carry potent divine protection. These are separate things in my eyes, but I see now that they are the same to you.” There was the joy of discovery in his voice, and this information was just as new to me. Greetings, prayers in the temple, and requests for divine protection all came from saying the names of gods and expelling mana; as far as I was concerned, they were all just prayers dedicated to the gods.
Aah, but I guess there are minor differences... like when I feel the mana getting sucked out of me on its own versus when I actually need to work to push it out. I don’t really get it, so I’m just going to stop thinking now.
“In any case, I would like for you to work on some more productive research, Hartmut.”
“I am planning to research something more publishable next year. My research on you will likely take more than a lifetime, so I would like to begin more thoroughly following my graduation,” Hartmut said, his smiling eyes locked on me.
No! Don’t make me your life’s work! Please, no!
“Ah, Lady Rozemyne,” Philine said as I cradled my head, “I just remembered—Professor Hirschur’s announcements this year will be centered around her research on Schwartz and Weiss.”
The outfits had thus far required a great deal of research, and everyone from Ehrenfest was having to work together in order to make them. For these reasons, Hirschur had decided to make them her main focus.
“That must be why she was so enthusiastic about getting those documents from Lord Ferdinand,” Philine continued, her voice tinged with awe. “I was so surprised by her reaction yesterday.”
Upon being informed of my return, Hirschur had burst into the dormitory like a cannonball. She had then sped right up to me with a look intense enough to bore holes into the wall—hardly the expression one would expect from a teacher retrieving packages from her old disciple.
Justus had been the one to step forward and deal with Hirschur. Just as he had proposed, he had used the research on Schwartz and Weiss as a bargaining chip to get her to refuse the Dunkelfelger match for us, deliberately emphasizing that I was not to be personally challenged again. He had then handed her only half of the documents, stating that he would “deliver the second half once the cancellation is confirmed.”
Hirschur had of course acted immediately, and she was back to collect the rest before even a single bell had passed. She had rushed in like a hurricane and then left just as quickly.
“I never would have thought Professor Hirschur could talk Professor Rauffen down so extremely quickly. Yesterday I learned that she has a talent for something other than research...” Hartmut muttered in a daze. Everyone else nodded in solemn agreement.
Seriously, with people like Sylvester and Hirschur, Ehrenfest culture could be defined as weirdos motivated only by their primary interest rampaging around. When will they learn to calm down a little? Good grief.
To attendants, the Interduchy Tournament was a place to push trends and lavish guests with excellent hospitality. Up until now, Ehrenfest had received almost no visitors outside of the students’ own guardians; without anything that was new or garnered much interest, other duchies wouldn’t bother to come over. The Interduchy Tournament wasn’t very long overall, so it was a matter of course that people and attention would be centered around the most fascinating things.
Even the students’ guardians and the archducal couple would immediately leave for other duchies to socialize; nobody would come to them, so they had to actively venture out. Brunhilde had found it exceedingly frustrating that she had honed her hosting skills to such an incredible degree but had never had the chance to actually show them off.
This year, Ehrenfest had garnered much attention with its rinsham, hairpins, pound cakes, and plant paper. Brunhilde was also putting her all into polishing up the girls by cleaning their hair with rinsham, exactly as we had done before the advancement ceremony.
There were still some concerns, however. For one, Lieseleta was worried that we didn’t know how many visitors would be coming—a problem born from all the new trends and the fact that both Wilfried and I were here. Justus had apparently told her that those of us from Ehrenfest would need to prepare to the absolute best of our ability, unlike during previous years. It was good that our students were getting a chance to prove their skills, but it ran the risk of things becoming too much for them to handle, which could make things even worse than usual.
“Oh...? And who is that?” I asked. A woman I didn’t recognize had suddenly entered the common room. She looked a lot like Rihyarda, but since the actual Rihyarda was behind me, it had to be someone else. As I wondered who, I noticed Traugott with a pathetic look on his face, seeming like he wanted to be anywhere else. I turned around on instinct and saw that Rihyarda was wearing an exceedingly displeased grimace.
Oh snap! It’s cross-dressing Justus! Holy cow! He totally looks like a refined middle-aged lady right now!
He advanced slowly, receiving suspicious looks from all those in the common room, and then knelt gracefully before me. No longer were there any traces of Justus, whom by now I knew well; instead, there was a woman who looked much like Rihyarda, albeit middle-aged. The winter cold meant everyone was wearing clothes that covered the neck, and so his Adam’s apple was completely hidden away. His hands were also hidden beneath gloves, which meant the only area where his skin was exposed was his face.
Justus already had a bit of an androgynous face, so it had taken just a little makeup to completely change how it looked. His shoulders were slightly broader than Rihyarda’s, maybe due to the layers of clothing he had on, but it was actually scary how normal it all seemed. He must have dyed his hair too, as it was now brown instead of gray.
“My apologies for the wait. How is it, milady?”
“You can change your voice, Justus...?”
“One need only alter how they speak.”
As it turned out, he could make a feminine voice just by... changing how he spoke a little. And either due to him having observed the mannerisms of women, practiced a lot himself, or cross-dressed all the time, it was very believable indeed. Perhaps I was praising him too highly, but he reminded me of the male actors playing women in Noh theater or kabuki who, through rigid practice and careful attention to their every move, could end up more feminine than the actual girls.
“If you take no issue with this state of dress, I would like to accompany you to your tea party for girls,” Justus said.
“That is fine, provided that you do not mind remaining dressed like that for the entire day.”
“Certainly not. Now, I must ask that you call me ‘Gudrun’ when I am dressed like this.”
“‘Gudrun’?” I repeated, tilting my head just as Traugott let out a pained choke.
“Uncle, please! Do not use Mother’s name when dressed like that! Are there not a variety of female names similar to your own, like ‘Justine’ or ‘Justina’?!”
“Goodness, Traugott. Must you panic so? Do calm down. Only a shallow-minded fool would use a fake name so easily connected to their real one. That you are one such fool is why your life is but a string of failures,” Justus said with a giggle. He apparently looked just like Traugott’s mother, Gudrun, when he cross-dressed. Those wearing clear grimaces rather than looks of surprise were probably those who knew Gudrun personally.
Traugott cradled his head, weeping for mercy as he was forced to endure having his cross-dressing uncle as his attendant. The looks of judgment and scorn he had previously been receiving from the others steadily became conflicted stares of sympathy. No words were spoken, but it was clear how many people were feeling bad for him.
Wait... Did Justus deliberately walk into the common room like this to earn Traugott some sympathy? No, surely not. Justus wouldn’t go that far for him.
Upon seeing Justus retain his feminine grace even while dealing with Traugott’s emotional breakdown, Hartmut looked at me with the troubled expression of someone who had been given an impossible task. “Lady Rozemyne, ah... Is it expected for scholars serving as retainers to learn to cross-dress? I truly apologize, but I do not have a talent for such an art. If you insist that I learn, however, I will dedicate my best efforts to doing so.”
I had told him to learn from Justus, but that certainly didn’t mean I expected him to cross-dress. I immediately rejected the idea.
“You do not need to learn to cross-dress, Hartmut. There are surely many other ways to obtain the information you want, such as training a female assistant scholar or cooperating with others. Cross-dressing is merely an interest of Justus’s, and not a talent I see in you.”
The apprentice scholars all seemed visibly relieved to hear my explanation. Justus, on the other hand, appeared somewhat dissatisfied. “This is no interest of mine, milady—it is simply the most effective method for achieving my goals,” he said. “Would you not agree that it is most reliable to gather information with one’s own eyes and ears?”
“Is it really that effective...?” Hartmut asked.
“Hartmut, no! Don’t let him corrupt you!” I cried, already sensing the danger as Hartmut began to look contemplative. Despite my efforts, however, Justus stopped me with a smile and then began to profess the glorious practicality of cross-dressing to not just Hartmut, but the entire student body.
“Milady, he is not being corrupted; he is simply being educated so that he can make an informed decision. If one considers how information obtained personally is leagues more reliable than information obtained through others, then cross-dressing is a skill that anyone should dedi—”
“SHUT YOUR TRAP, JUSTUS!” Rihyarda yelled. “I will not let you keep blabbering such nonsense! And you will not drag Ottilie’s precious son down with you! He has such a bright future ahead of him!”