Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.8 - Chapter SS2

Mana-Sensing and Marriage Partners

“Oh...?”

We had all gathered in the dormitory to study for the knight course when it happened: the noise intensified, and I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I scanned my surroundings, searching for the cause, when Lady Natalie peered up at me from her work.

“Lady Judithe, is something the matter?”

I couldn’t even answer. Everything looked the same as before, but the change was unmistakable. My fellow students could suddenly be divided into two groups: those with a strong presence, and those with a weak one. The sensation was so odd that goose bumps formed all over my body, and I struggled just to set my pen down.

Wait... Is this mana-sensing?!

I was now painfully aware of people who had previously never even caught my eye. I stood up in shock, causing a clatter that made everyone look my way. Mana stirred within the room. I could feel it all, and it was so overwhelming that I made straight for the door.

The others called out to me. I didn’t feel good about ignoring them, but I wouldn’t have been able to hide my emotions. I was probably bright red with embarrassment.

“Did something happen?” asked my attendant Frederika. For as long as I was away from home, she was my closest companion and the eldest woman with whom I could discuss my situation.

“Frederika, I... I...”

The words refused to come out. I didn’t know how to say that I’d developed mana-sensing and that I was having a hard time getting used to it. As it turned out, though, I didn’t need to say anything else; Frederika touched me, and her eyes widened.

“Oh? Your mana... Aah! Congratulations!”

Mana-sensing was a trait that developed in one’s body between the ages of ten and fifteen. It was a secondary sexual characteristic for nobles—the ability to sense those with a mana capacity similar to one’s own. You could quite literally feel who would make a good marriage partner, as mana disparities made it hard to have children.

“It suddenly felt like the room got noisy,” I said. “Then it felt like everyone was watching me. I just couldn’t calm down. What should I do?”

It wasn’t just that I could sense all the mana around me; others could sense mine as well. I wasn’t actively searching for a partner, but my body was signaling that I was ready for marriage. It was so embarrassing that I wanted to die.

“You will get used to it soon.”

“Guh... But how soon? A bell? A day?”

This was a huge problem to me, but Frederika just giggled. “How impatient. I cannot remember how long it took for me—so much time has passed since then—but I can tell you this: when you want to escape the mana and drop the social act, use your hidden room.”

Hidden rooms were made using one’s own mana and stood apart from the rest of the world; being inside one meant not being able to sense anything on the outside. I’d seldom used mine before, but its importance was now clear to me. I wanted to hide away from everyone else’s mana until it was less overwhelming.

“Though if you stay in there forever, you will never get used to mana-sensing.”

“Ngh...”

Frederika had reminded me of my hidden room and then immediately advised me not to use it. Was my discomfort amusing to her?

“We must inform your parents,” she said. “Your development of mana-sensing means the time has come to consider your marriage prospects. Expect things to get a lot busier going forward.”

If such remarks had come from my mother, I would surely have protested and told her not to rush me. Frederika, however, was the attendant of an extended family member; I couldn’t speak so casually with her. It seemed best to keep my distance until my thoughts stopped racing and I felt better equipped to deal with my new emotions.

“I shall entrust that to you,” I said. “I was so shocked that I abandoned my studies and rushed out of the common room. I must go back.”

Not giving Frederika a chance to respond, I took my leave. My cheeks were red and warm despite the winter cold. I gave them a few sobering slaps, but it didn’t help. The others were bound to notice something was wrong.

“Ngh... I can’t go back to them like this. What am I to do?”

“Judithe!” Leonore called out from down the hall; she must have come looking for me. “Is everything okay? We couldn’t believe it when you rushed out of the common room like that.”

“Leonore...” was the most I could manage, and then it hit me—even as she approached, I couldn’t sense anything from her. Was her mana capacity that much higher than mine? On the one hand, that sucked—it went to show how superior archnobles were to mednobles—but on the other, I was relieved to have some peace.

“Well, um... it seems my mana-sensing has developed,” I said. “It happened so suddenly that I didn’t know how to react.”

“Aah, yes. It does take a while to get used to it. You went to discuss it with your attendant, then?”

I nodded, relieved to have found someone who understood. “She was overjoyed and said we need to contact my parents. I tried to explain how overwhelming it was, but she didn’t get it; she said she barely remembered the days when she had to go through it all.”

“You can confide in me, if you want. We girls are the only ones who can enter Lady Rozemyne’s retainer room, so why don’t we go there?”

Lady Rozemyne was back in Ehrenfest, and our male colleagues weren’t allowed up on the third floor. Indeed, we had a lot more privacy there than we were used to in the castle; Leonore, Brunhilde, Lieseleta, Philine, and I were the only ones with access to our lady’s retainer room.

“Please,” I replied.

“You go ahead. I shall return to the others for a moment and do my best to cover for you.”

I thanked Leonore, then went straight to the retainer room. It was pleasantly still, maybe because it was at the far end of the dormitory and Lady Rozemyne wasn’t around.

“You developed mana-sensing?” Brunhilde asked me.

“Yes...”

“Though I consider that cause to celebrate, I understand your desire to keep it secret. Until you grow used to it, at least.” She took some sweets from the nearby shelves, then plated them with a knowing smile.

Brunhilde was right—I wanted someone to sympathize with my worries, not commend me for my sudden growth. “My attendant Frederika said I would get used to it, but how long will that really take?”

“Let’s see... Ten days, perhaps?”

“Maybe not even that,” Lieseleta added. “Mine stopped bothering me after five.”

I clenched my fists on my lap. Both estimates were a lot longer than I’d anticipated.

Lieseleta served Brunhilde some tea—the cup made a gentle clink as it touched the table—and then smiled at me. “For the first three days or so, you won’t need to worry about others noticing the change in you.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, my eyes widening.

She leisurely made tea for Leonore before returning her attention to me, a gentle look in her green eyes. “Your senses changed abruptly, and now you are extremely sensitive to the mana of those around you. But your own mana is currently unstable and can be sensed only by those close enough to touch you.” Her mana swayed as she set a cup in front of me. I could sense it.

“I can feel yours, but you can’t feel mine?”

“I can, but only when we touch. Like this.” She reached out to demonstrate. “It feels weak and somewhat distant. Could that be because of a gap between our capacities?”

Out of all the girls in the room, Lieseleta was the only one whose mana I could sense. Two of the others were archnobles, and Philine was too young to have developed mana-sensing.

“Your mother would normally teach you these things, but that isn’t an option here at the Royal Academy...” Lieseleta continued. “There must be so much you are uncertain about.”

“You could put your practical lessons on hold and return home for a short while,” Brunhilde said. She gave me a trepidatious look and then added, “Not that I would recommend it...”

I asked her to elaborate.

“Once your parents find out about this, they will invite a plethora of men to celebrate whether you like it or not. You feel embarrassed about your mana-sensing and would rather it not be touched upon, correct? You should stay at the Royal Academy until you are prepared for what will come next.”

Brunhilde explained that her parents had thrown her a massive party. To make matters worse, her father had told her to select a potential groom from among the countless men in attendance. The very thought made my cheeks redden and my eyes tear up. I turned to Leonore, hoping she could ease my concerns... but she returned a vague smile.

“As I am not my house’s successor, my celebration was not so grand. But several men were invited.”

“But that’s just, like... an archnoble thing, right?” I shot a desperate glance at my last hope. “Lieseleta, you didn’t have to go through anything like that, did you?”

She took a sip of tea and gave me a troubled smile. “Yours is an unenviable position. Not only are you unable to consult your mother about this, but you are fated to have a celebration waiting for you as soon as you get home. Though I understand the importance of such events, the trial ahead will not be easy.”

“What? What?! Um...”

I was at a complete loss. Did even mednobles hold such gatherings? Leonore and Brunhilde eyed me with sympathy as I stared on in shock.

As I sat there stunned, Leonore gave me a commiserative smile. “Celebrations of this nature are held during winter socializing or near the Starbinding when relatives and associates are easier to contact.”

“My mana-sensing developed at the end of summer,” Brunhilde added, looking equally sympathetic, “so I was emotionally prepared by the time my celebration came around. You will not have that luxury.”

“No way... No way!” I cried. “Can I prevent the celebration somehow?” I tried to picture it—all those people coming together to find out I was ready for marriage—and my face grew so hot that I thought it might catch fire.

Leonore shook her head. “Parents consider it a crucial opportunity to find their children suitable marriage candidates.”

“If your attendant has contacted yours, they might even be preparing as we speak,” Brunhilde noted.

My elders wore smiles as they encouraged me to accept my fate. I was doomed to have a celebration at the end of the approaching winter.

“Can you at least tell me what to expect?” I asked. “Nobody’s ever invited me to such a celebration!”

“That goes without saying. Their purpose is to put women who have just developed mana-sensing in the same room as compatible, unmarried men. The men find it just as embarrassing as we do, so we’re all in the same boat, at least...”

The attendees of such gatherings comprised the female host, her potential suitors, and their guardians. It couldn’t have been more on the nose! My head spun like crazy until my eyes finally came to rest on Philine, who was sipping tea like this had nothing to do with her.

“How are you so calm, Philine? This is your future too! You’re only a year younger than me, so soon enough...”

“I cut ties with my father and now live under Lady Rozemyne’s protection. I sincerely doubt I will receive such a celebration.” The gatherings were held so that parents could announce their daughter was of marriageable age, so indeed, a girl without parents had nothing to worry about.

“Ah...! So if I cut ties with my father, then—”

“Do not be ridiculous, Judithe. As embarrassing as this might be, it cannot be worth casting aside your house. Some consider these ceremonies their parents’ way of showing how much they care about them.”

“Wha...?”

“Some daughters don’t receive a mana-sensing celebration, which is taken as a sign that their fathers don’t intend to find partners for them. Be it for lack of a dowry or what have you.”

I didn’t know what to say. Philine’s strained relationship with her father would doubtless have a tremendous impact on her marriage prospects. Would she let Lady Rozemyne hold a celebration for her? If so, would the socialites not tear her apart for relying on someone other than her family to such an extent?

“You need not worry about me, Judithe,” she said. “As things stand, I would only find it troublesome if my father tried to play matchmaker.”

I was well aware of her family situation, so why hadn’t I thought before opening my mouth? I could only imagine what she must have thought of someone so fortunate declaring she would cut ties with her parents just to avoid a little embarrassment. I slumped my shoulders, crestfallen.

Brunhilde patted me on the back. “There is one way to escape the celebration. If your father has already chosen a partner for you, then you can skip straight to the color-mixing and engagement announcement. Might that be the case for you?”

“Color-mixing and an engagement?! Absolutely not. My father has never said a word about any suitors.”

Our conversation had escalated from my mana-sensing to a celebration to meeting suitors to an immediate engagement. I was being made to answer questions about all sorts of topics I’d never even thought about before.

I turned to Leonore, whose future plans were already in the works. She would soon return to Ehrenfest to marry Cornelius. As they were both archnobles and retainers to Lady Rozemyne, it wouldn’t have been strange for their parents to have arranged their union, but it was said they had naturally fallen in love.

“Um, there are a few more things I want to ask before I speak with Mother or Father...” I said. “What do people look for in a marriage partner? What makes an engagement good or bad? How is one decided...?”

Everyone’s eyes fell on Leonore, who already had a partner.

“Well, um... What can I say except that Liebeskhilfe the Goddess of Binding was very kind to me? I fell for Cornelius while he strove to serve Lady Rozemyne as best he could. It just so happened that our mana capacities matched, there weren’t any issues with our rank or status, and the man I was interested in returned my feelings.”

“So it was all a coincidence...?” I asked, entirely unconvinced.

Lieseleta giggled. “I doubt Leonore could tell you much else. The criteria for a suitable partner vary not only by status but also by the standards of one’s house.”

“Then what about you, Lieseleta? You might be a better example for me, seeing as we’re both mednobles. And you’re a fifth-year. You’ve spoken to your parents about it, haven’t you? Plenty of men have been asking for your hand in marriage, in case you weren’t aware.”

In many ways, Lieseleta was the total package. She was deeply considerate, a talented embroiderer, and unbelievably close to the archducal family for a mednoble. Better still, her elder sister was engaged to Lord Eckhart and recognized as Lord Bonifatius’s prized disciple.

Lieseleta’s eyes wandered, then she rested a hand on her cheek. “As the successor of my house, I don’t believe I can be a useful example to someone with a younger brother.”

“Come again?”

“Angelica is my only sister, and we do not have a brother.”

I still didn’t understand, so Lieseleta elaborated. Her elder sister would normally have been the successor, but theirs was a house of attendants; Angelica had forfeited the role the moment she chose to tread the path of a knight. She was also engaged to Lord Eckhart and due to become a second wife. If something happened to Lieseleta, there wouldn’t be anyone to take over their house.

I, on the other hand, belonged to a house of knights that served Giebe Kirnberger. I also had several younger siblings, so my parents would want me to get married and move out as soon as I could. I wasn’t the successor, and since my house wasn’t aligned with either the former Veronica faction or the Leisegangs, I didn’t have any harsh restrictions on whom I could choose as a partner. Unless they were a true eccentric, my parents wouldn’t mind anyone with the right status and mana capacity.

I guess we’re in pretty distinct situations, even if we are both mednobles serving Lady Rozemyne.

“I intend to prioritize my house’s wishes and take a groom,” Lieseleta concluded. “I want to serve the archducal couple as my parents do, so I asked them to consider that when selecting a partner for me.”

In other words, she wasn’t going to choose someone based on love. I simply nodded, but Brunhilde and Leonore gave half smiles.

“Our apologies in advance,” Brunhilde said. “I am of Groschel, and Leonore is a direct descendant of the Leisegangs, so we would never be permitted to marry any of the former Veronica faction nobles surrounding Lord Wilfried and the aub.”

In the long term, they were expected to form tighter cooperative bonds with Lord Wilfried’s retainers. But that would prove difficult at the current moment.

“Hopefully we can repair that relationship somewhat come spring, when Lord Wilfried visits Leisegang regarding the printing industry. It will soon be five whole years since Lady Veronica was deposed. Though it seems like ages to us, to our parents and grandparents, barely enough time has passed for their wrath to cool.”

Well, here comes all the faction stuff again.

It never felt relevant to me—probably because of where I grew up. Kirnberger was too concerned with its country gate to mire itself in faction politics. We were the only Ehrenfest province to have one, so it was the pride and duty of our knights to protect it.

Giebe Kirnberger being one step removed from the duchy’s factions meant my parents and near relatives seldom gave them much thought at home. My upbringing had put me in the same mindset. I only really became aware of the duchy’s factions when Lady Veronica was deposed and the balance of power began to shift all over the place, but as Lady Rozemyne didn’t think much about factions either, I’d ended up in a strange situation where I served the archducal family without really understanding its politics.

Does that make me a failure of a retainer? No, that can’t be right... I’ve felt the tension between factions before. It just doesn’t prey on my mind constantly like it does for Brunhilde and the others...

As I simultaneously critiqued and defended my attitude, the others continued their discussion. Philine’s voice cut through my musing.

“You’re the successor of your house as well, right, Brunhilde? Do you also intend to follow your father’s wishes and take a groom?”

“Well, successors do need to value their parents’ opinions...” Brunhilde replied with a vague smile. It was rare to see her so evasive, considering how quick she normally was to speak her mind. “No matter whether I take a groom or marry into another house, what matters most for me is benefiting House Groschel. If accepting a certain partner will aid the giebe, I shan’t let my emotions get in the way. But of course, I will also need the consent of both my parents. It will not be a simple matter.”

Daughters of giebes sure seemed to have it rough. They had commitments that hadn’t even crossed my mind. I felt like I was drowning from mana-sensing alone; I didn’t have it in me to contemplate the duties of a successor or the ideal traits for my future partner.

“That sure sounds like a heavy burden to bear... Doesn’t it, Philine?” I looked to her for agreement, relieved not to have the same kind of weight on my shoulders.

My fellow retainer batted her grass-green eyes in confusion. “You do know that I intend to inherit my house, right? I’m its only legal successor now that Konrad entered the orphanage. I don’t intend to let Jonsara and my father take the estate and belongings our mother and forebears left us. In that sense, I suppose I don’t have parental consent to worry about, but I still need to find someone willing to marry into my family.”

I was at a loss for words, unable to do anything but stare at Philine. She was younger than me and hadn’t even developed mana-sensing, yet she was already thinking about her future partner. It was like my lack of thought had just whacked me over the head.

“If those are your criteria, would Damuel not be perfect for you?” Brunhilde asked. “As a second son, he does not have a house to inherit.”

“Do remember that he compressed his mana extensively to match Lady Brigitte,” Lieseleta interjected. “You would need to follow in his footsteps and work just as hard to be on his level again.”

Both girls knew about Philine’s feelings for Damuel—not that she was doing much to hide them. She looked away, her cheeks bright red from the teasing.

“Though such an arrangement would work perfectly for me, Damuel wouldn’t even consider getting engaged to a mere child. That’s why... I want to develop mana-sensing as soon as possible.”

“Hm? You want to develop mana-sensing?” I asked. It was hard to imagine someone longing for the embarrassment I was going through or the feeling that everyone was measuring your mana.

“But of course. Once I do, I’ll be able to tell whether my capacity matches Lord Damuel’s. It’ll give me a clear goal to work toward. Not to mention, it might lead to him seeing me more as a woman. Mana-sensing should change all sorts of things for the better.”

Oh no. Once again, I wasn’t using my head...

Seeing everyone else have such clear prospects in mind made me start to panic a little.

“Indeed, being able to sense someone’s mana is the first step toward understanding their potential as a partner,” Brunhilde said. “I pray that your sensing develops soon.”

“If you are resolved to inherit your house, then you will not be able to rise to the rank of mednoble through marriage,” Lieseleta added. “You will continue to face belittlement in the shadows. Pick your groom carefully based on their personality and status.”

Philine went an even brighter shade of red as everyone continued to support her first love. She floundered a little, then jabbed a finger in my direction. “Hold on a moment. We’re meant to be focusing on Judithe’s future partner, not mine.”

“Wha...?” I choked.

“Oh, that’s right. This tea party was for Judithe.”

As I gazed around at my colleagues, I saw them all watching me with sparkling eyes. The tide had turned so quickly.

“Judithe, what are you looking for in a partner?”

“Will you return to Kirnberger after your wedding?”

“Do you want to be like Ottilie and return to your lady’s service once you’ve reared your children? If so, then you should consider marrying someone who lives in the Noble’s Quarter.”

Not a single answer came to mind. My cheeks went red either out of embarrassment at their curiosity or shame that I was utterly speechless.

Please stop! I’m not like all of you! I haven’t thought about my future in the slightest!

Despite my silent self-reproach, I picked up my tea and took a long sip. As a proud member of Lady Rozemyne’s retinue, I wasn’t going to admit I was completely and utterly unprepared.

I need an escape route! How do I get out of this?!

Even jumping back into the pit of shifting mana that was the common room would have felt better than trying to answer the questions thrust upon me. I glared at the door, at which point an ordonnanz arrived. Cornelius was asking Leonore for help with our study session.

“Let us go at once!” I declared, almost jumping for joy. “Cornelius needs our help! This is most convenient, as there are still some parts of next year’s written lessons I don’t understand.”

“Oh, so you’re ready to return to the common room?” Leonore asked. “Very well. I’m glad to have been of service.” She took hold of my cape, and at that moment, I was overcome with a crushing sense of dread.

Oh no, no, no, no!

There was no escaping Leonore’s firm grip and radiant smile. She practically dragged me back to the common room, where I was forced to spend the rest of a very uneasy study session.

But maybe because of my friends’ assertiveness, I got used to sensing everyone’s mana in only three days.