Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 2.4 - Chapter SS1

Freida—A Visit to the Noble’s Quarter 

“Oh my, it’s already time.” I noticed while changing for bed that the color of one of the feystones on my bracelet was a little different. The bracelet had a bunch of tiny black feystones lined up along it, one of which was now no longer opaque. 

As a Devouring sufferer signed with a noble, my master had given me this magic tool to contain my overflowing mana. Feystones changing color was a sign that the bracelet was getting full with mana, which meant that I needed to go see Lord Henrik, the noble I had signed with and my master. 

“Grandfather, please request a meeting with Lord Henrik. The feystones have begun to change color,” I informed Grandfather the next morning. We needed special permission to enter the Noble’s Quarter, and as I was underage I would need him to accompany me there. 

“That time already, hm?” 

“Yes, indeed. Shall I bring some more pound cake as a gift?” 

“That would be wise. He seemed to have quite liked it last time.” 

“Very well, then. I shall bring pound cake mixed with rumtopf this time.” 

We had invented a new form of pound cake last winter by thinly slicing the rumtopf Myne had taught us to make and mixing it into the cake batter. It took much trial and error to find the ideal amount of rumtopf to add, but thanks to Leise’s efforts, the cake ended up quite delicious. It had a strong alcoholic smell, which made it fairly popular among male nobles. 

However, since the rumtopf itself had been made experimentally, there wasn’t enough for us to make too many pound cakes. Leise was determined to make much more rumtopf over the coming summer, though. 

“I believe it is about time for us to expand our repertoire...” Grandfather said, sending a meaningful glance to the kitchen where Leise likely was. Both she and I were thinking the same thing. 

“I will have to get hold of Myne again soon.” 

That was easier said than done, however, given how thorough Benno was when it came to hiding her from the world. All of her Guild paperwork was delivered by the Gilberta Company, and even the yearly financial report that needed to be delivered and discussed in spring was handled by Benno. 

Despite being a member of the Merchant’s Guild, Myne showed up less often than any other foreman or forewoman, and yet she was selling enough that her workshop was quickly becoming one of the largest in the city. Plant paper, picture books, the toys she had made and sold as winter handiwork... At first glance, the Myne Workshop’s overall output was rather low, but everything they made was priced high and brought in significant profit—and that wasn’t even including all of the new products that the Gilberta Company had bought the rights to. 

“The Gilberta Company keeps coming out with new products as well. It is easy to forget that they’re supposed to be a store for clothing and accessories.” The rinsham, hairpins, and uniquely shaped hangers were close enough to their main business focus, but the plant paper, picture books, toys, and diptychs weren’t related to clothing or accessories in the slightest. 

“And Myne is getting involved in more than just products, isn’t she?” 

“Indeed.” 

Many of the contracts that passed through the Merchant’s Guild with Myne’s name on them were significant—a contract with the Ink Guild, huge orders for the smith she was a patron of as well as various carpenters, a joint investment with Benno for an eatery that was due to open soon... They all involved a lot of money moving around. 

“And she joined the temple as an apprentice shrine maiden, too. Just what in the world is she doing? It seems to me that she’s trading at a much higher value than most other merchants.” 

Even though our contract over the pound cake had ended, I had not heard from Myne or even seen her in the Guild for a long time. Does she not mind if I just continue monopolizing pound cake? Because if she doesn’t send word soon, that’s exactly what I intend to do. 

About ten days after the first feystone had changed color, Lord Henrik permitted us to meet him. I waited until fifth bell the day of, then departed for the Noble’s Quarter with Grandfather. 

“It’s time, Freida.” 

“Yes, Grandfather. See you soon, Mother.” I got into a carriage and sat next to Grandfather before the door was shut behind me. The bracelet on my wrist shook as the carriage bounced, making it impossible to ignore. 

“There certainly are quite a few stones that have changed color there.” 

“We must give it to Lord Henrik at once so that he can empty it out again.” Whenever we gave the bracelet to Lord Henrik, he would empty it of mana and return it to me. That was our only business there, but the emptying process took enough time that we were always invited over for dinner. 

“If only this were lunch, I could feel more at ease right now.” 

“The fact that he invites us to dinner is proof that we are being treated as proper guests.” 

“I know. We cannot refuse.” 

Being invited over for dinner of course meant that the gates would be closed by the time we were due to come back, which meant spending the night in Lord Henrik’s mansion. And staying the night meant bathing. 

“Bathing has been easier on me ever since I took Myne’s advice and started spending less time in the hot water, but I still dislike noble baths.” 

“...That is something you will have to grow out of,” Grandfather said with a short laugh. He always made me bathe for a really long time, during which he would have business discussions with Lord Henrik’s head attendant. 

I puffed out my cheeks in a small pout. “You know that I prefer business over bathing too, and yet I bathe anyway. I am more than mature enough already.” 

Our carriage took a right turn after reaching the temple at the end of the main street. Towering white walls made of the same material as the temple stretched on into the distance. They separated the lower city from the Noble’s Quarter, and following it for a bit would lead to a gate. 

“What we know as the Noble’s Quarter today was actually the whole city hundreds of years ago, right? I learned about that the other day.” 

“That’s correct. It’s said that the city expanded when the first Ehrenfest took control of the duchy from the previous line of archdukes.” 

It was standard practice that when nobles from one duchy invaded another, and its archduke couldn’t protect his city from them, the new archduke would become whichever noble had the most mana. The new archduke would then use their more sizable power to expand the city. 

“The previous city was rebuilt as the Noble’s Quarter, and then a lower city for commoners was built on the southern side, correct?” 

“Yes. Furthermore, what used to be an inn that served as a front gate to investigate travelers was repurposed as the temple. I heard that nobles still use the so-called Noble’s Gate within the temple, but that has nothing to do with either of us.” 

We commoners entered the Noble’s Quarter using a small gate on the north end of town that had been used for guards, according to Grandfather. 

The north gate was guarded by several commoner soldiers and laynoble knights. We paid the entry fee, then gave several products to the knights as gifts. We were then asked why we were entering the Noble’s Quarter, where we were going, and whether we had the proper authorization. The knights obviously looking down on us for being commoners made me deeply uncomfortable, but I couldn’t let that get to me. Otherwise, I would never survive when I moved here in the future. It hadn’t taken me long to get used to returning even their scornful gazes with a smile. 

“You both check out. Go into that carriage over there.” 

“Understood.” 

Lower city carriages were dirty enough that we had to switch to a noble carriage before passing through the north gate. Once that was done, we were traveling smoothly down the road between the pristine white buildings of the Noble’s Quarter without any bouncing or shaking at all. 

“If only we could have carriages like these in the lower city...” 

“That wouldn’t be an easy feat. My understanding is that they use magic tools to dampen the shaking.” 

As a laynoble, Lord Henrik’s estate was comparatively close to the north gate. Land closer to the gates being cheaper seemed to be the same in both the lower city and the Noble’s Quarter. 

“We are glad to see you, Miss Freida.” The head attendant welcomed us in and led us to a guest parlor. It resembled the parlor in our home, but that was because Grandfather had specifically modeled our home after Lord Henrik’s. There were still significant differences between the two though, given that they used magic tools like they were second nature here. 

“Apologies for the wait.” Lord Henrik arrived shortly after. He was seventeen when he signed with us, which made him around twenty now, and he was as kind and as honest of a noble as his appearance would suggest. His father had died two years ago, and it seemed he was working hard to serve as the head of his family despite his young age. 

Lord Henrik had a first wife with whom he had children, but no second wife, and as a commoner I would be counted as a mistress rather than a proper wife. It would be fair to say that he was somewhat relying on my family for financial support. But ironically, the source of his money problems was the diligent and warmhearted nature of his family, which was why Grandfather had arranged for me to sign with him in the first place. He wouldn’t abuse his authority to drain money from us, nor was he likely to be involved in any back-alley deals. There was no noble more ideal for me to sign with. 

“May this meeting ordained by the gods be blessed on this fruitful day given life by Flutrane the Goddess of Water’s healing. It is good to see you after so long, Lord Henrik.” Grandfather and Lord Henrik exchanged the lengthy greetings of the nobility, which were especially tricky to learn since the gods one needed to name changed each season, and while listening I suddenly remembered the picture book I had bought from Myne. 

...Oh, I recall that she wanted to make picture books for all of the subordinate gods as well. I wonder if she ever finished those. 

Myne had been making picture books that could easily have their covers swapped out. They were black and white, but the illustrations were still beautiful and the gods were described in simple and clear language. I intended to give the books leather covers once I had a full set. 

“Freida, your hand,” Lord Henrik said, bringing me back to reality. I extended my left hand so that he could see the bracelet. He struck it lightly with a shining stick he took out of seemingly thin air, then murmured a quiet word that made the bracelet grow in size to the point that it could finally be removed. 

“Ah, yes, quite a few feystones have changed color. Are you feeling alright?” Lord Henrik asked worriedly after taking a look at the removed bracelet. He never acted arrogantly or like he was superior to me, even though I was a commoner who had signed my life away to him, so my impression of him was a very positive one. 

“I’m feeling fine, thank you. I appreciate the concern.” 

“Glad to hear it. May we meet again at dinner.” 

“Indeed.” 

Lord Henrik left with the bracelet, at which point his head attendant came in and began discussing business with Grandfather. Female attendants would soon call me to take a bath before dinner so that I could dress properly for the meal. The most difficult part of coming to the mansion would soon begin. 

After finishing a long and exhausting bath, I sat at the dinner table, where most of the topics discussed were concerning the circumstances in the lower city. I effortlessly partook in discussions of market trends and my own education, then talked about the new flavors of pound cake that Leise had been speedily developing. 

“My younger brother who just came of age and recently left home is quite fond of your pound cake. I myself am not too fond of overly sweet foods, but this pound cake has a strong scent of alcohol, and the more restrained sweetness makes it easier to eat.” 

It seemed that Lord Henrik’s knight younger brother liked sweets more than him. That little brother in question had been given guard duty at some point during last fall, but committed some grave error that had resulted in a hefty fine. Grandfather and I had paid the fine on his behalf, but we had no idea what he was really like. I had not met him yet. 

“Master Henrik, do you have a moment?” A servant with a pale, anxious expression whispered something into Lord Henrik’s ear, and he immediately stood up. 

“My apologies, Freida. There is an emergency elsewhere. I must take my leave for today.” 

Lord Henrik left the dining hall with the servant at once. As pressing for details would be uncouth and unwise, Grandfather instead passed the time by harmlessly discussing the food served. 

“Well then, Grandfather. Goodnight.” 

“Yes, sleep well.” 

A male attendant escorted Grandfather to his guest room while a female attendant took me to mine. It was the same room I always used, even when changing for the bath. 

“Here you are, Miss Freida.” 

“...Oh?” My things had been brought here when I went for my bath, but now they were nowhere to be seen. I tilted my head slightly as I walked to the bed at the attendant’s guidance, where she pulled the bed curtains to the side. 

“If you would like, you ca— Kyaah?!” The attendant let out a squeal. There was a man lying down on the bed I was to use. He looked much like Lord Henrik, and his brows were tightly knitted as he groaned in pain. 

“Sir Damuel?! U-Um, Miss Freida, my apologies. I shall ask the head attendant about this.” The attendant, looking positively baffled, spun around and exited the room. Given that my things had been moved out, I could imagine that I had been given a separate room that nobody had been notified of properly. 

...Goodness. What should I do? Unable to leave the room on my own to chase after the attendant, but feeling too awkward to just stand alone in a room with a man I didn’t know despite the fact that he was unconscious, I put a hand to my cheek and sighed. 

“My sincerest apologies, Miss Freida.” The head attendant hurriedly walked into the room. 

It seemed that while Lord Henrik’s younger brother now lived in the knight dorms, he had been badly injured on duty and taken to his home until a healer was available, since it was so close to the Noble’s Gate. But as he was unconscious and there was no time to prepare a room, he had been brought here instead. 

“We have prepared another room for you, Miss Freida, but it seems we were so surprised that we didn’t send word as we should have. My sincerest apologies.” 

“I can sympathize with how unsettling it must have been for your master’s younger brother to be brought here unconscious without warning. If the other room is ready, I do not mind moving there now.” 

Just as the servant let out a sigh of relief at my understanding, a ball of light flew into the room through the window and spun circles above Damuel, sprinkling a glimmering dust onto him. The falling light shining in the dark room looked brilliant and mystical. 

“...So this is magic, is it? How beautiful.” I reached out to touch the dust, but it avoided my hand as if on purpose. 

After a minute of me watching the dust, enraptured, Damuel suddenly shot up in bed. “Apprentice! Are you okay?!” 

“Eek?!” 

Damuel was gripping a shining wand in his hand, and scanned the room with a hard expression as though he was in the middle of combat, but after a second he blinked in surprise. 

“...Where am I?” he said in confusion. He must have become disoriented when he was knocked unconscious. 

As Damuel looked around the room again, baffled, the head attendant took a step forward. “Sir Damuel, how are you feeling? You were brought home after falling unconscious, and up until now you have been resting in bed.” 

“I’m fine. Judging by the remnants of light, there must have been some healing magic.” Damuel looked down at his arm, then shot his head back up. There was an intense look on his face. “I have to hurry back to the Knight’s Order!” 

“Sir Damuel, I think it would be wiser to wait and—” 

“There’s no time!” Despite having been groaning unconscious just moments ago, Damuel sprang up from the bed with ease, raced to the balcony, and flung the window open. “I’m in the middle of guard duty! If the apprentice shrine maiden is hurt again, I’ll...” He swung his arm, and that alone was enough for a large winged horse of pure white to appear by the balcony. He mounted the horse, his expression worryingly grim, and then flew off. It was dark out, but the horse’s large wings were such a radiant white that I could see them flapping through the air as Damuel quickly disappeared from sight. 

The ball of light appearing in the room and Damuel jumping out of bed had happened so suddenly that all I and the head attendant could do was stand in shock and watch him go. 

“...Miss Freida, I will guide you to your room.” 

“Yes, please do.” 

After helplessly watching Damuel go, the head attendant came back to his senses and guided me to my newly prepared room. I climbed into bed and thought back to what I had heard Damuel say. He had certainly yelled about needing to help an apprentice shrine maiden who was in danger. To my understanding, Myne was the only apprentice shrine maiden in the temple at the moment. If Sir Damuel had been badly injured while on guard duty, it was very likely that Myne had gotten wrapped up in whatever was going on as well. 

“What in the world has happened?” 

I could have asked Lord Henrik, but nobles did not give away information so freely. He might tell me if I explained that I was Myne’s friend, but depending on what mess Myne was wrapped up in, that opened up the possibility of putting myself in danger too. It would likely be safer to keep my relationship with Myne a secret. 

“I would at least like to make sure she is alive...” 

At breakfast that morning, Lord Henrik apologized for the incident the night before. “I was so concerned about my younger brother that I didn’t send proper word out about it. My apologies.” 

“Think nothing of it. I myself got to witness the magic of the nobility for the first time. It was beautiful, mystifying, and very worth seeing.” 

After breakfast, Lord Henrik returned my bracelet; all of its feystones were now black again. Shortly after, Grandfather and I returned home. 

“Grandfather, there is something I need to research. Please lend me the key to the inner document room.” 

I hurried and changed before going to the Merchant’s Guild. There existed a room that compiled documents related to magic contracts, and this room could only be entered by the guildmaster and those who had his permission. I went there to search for copies of the contracts that Myne had signed with Benno. Unlike those in the document rooms that could be browsed by anyone, the contracts here would change when someone who had signed them died. 

Magic contracts were used rarely enough that it didn’t take me long to find the documents concerning Myne. 

“...‘Rozemyne’?” The document I found said that the contracts had been signed by Benno, Lutz... and Rozemyne. There would be no need to change the name of a Devouring child who had signed a submission contract, so this was almost objective proof that Myne had been taken by nobles. She had no doubt been adopted by one, in the same way that others had offered to adopt me in the past. 

A noble had learned of Myne’s knowledge, seen the value in it, and made it his. It was hard to imagine the impact of such a move would be felt only in Ehrenfest. I gripped the documents and raced to Grandfather’s office. 

“Something important has happened. Look at this.” I showed Grandfather the magic contracts with Myne’s name changed to “Rozemyne.” His eyes widened. 

“...Myne signed with a noble? It isn’t unheard of for a Devouring girl to be adopted, but Myne?” 

Myne had actively refused to sign with nobles, wanting to live with her family for as long as possible. She had said she would choose death over being separated from them, and yet now she had let herself be adopted by a noble. 

I myself didn’t want to be a noble; I wanted to be a merchant. I wanted to spend my time doing business and counting money. When I told Grandfather that, he had found the ideal noble for me and signed me with him. Thanks to that, I would have a store in the Noble’s Quarter when I came of age, and until then I could live at home with family. I was satisfied with my choice. 

...But what about Myne? 

“Grandfather, please call Benno over. I am sure he knows something about this.”