Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.1 - Chapter 9

Dedication Whirling (Third Year)

I came out of my room and trudged downstairs in my Pandabus, my shoulders slumped, still distraught that I had weirded out my precious bookworm friend. I had been asked to wait in the common room until lunch was prepared, and, when I arrived, I found that Wilfried and Charlotte were already there, reading books.

“Sister,” Charlotte said, looking up when she heard my arrival, “we have whirling practice this afternoon, which means we get to spend a class together.”

I nodded in response, wearing a pleasant smile... but then the blood drained from my face. I had come to a terrifying realization. In my current state, it was clear as day that blessings would practically explode out of me the moment I started to perform a dedication whirl. And, considering that I had already committed such a tragic blunder during my morning classes, that would make Hannelore run away from me for sure.

Anything but that! I need to rely on someone other than the gods!

“Wilfried, Charlotte, I can no longer control my mana and will almost certainly fire out one blessing after another during class,” I said. “By any chance, do you know how I might be able to avoid this?”

My two siblings—and pretty much everyone else in the common room—began to give my question some serious thought. As it turned out, those who received my blessings during classes also started getting strange looks from the other students. This was now the entire dormitory’s problem.

“Professor Hirschur said you just need to use up your mana, didn’t she?” Wilfried asked.

I shook my head, having already racked my brain for such solutions. “I expended some of my mana at the gathering spot yesterday, but it accomplished nothing.”

“Oh, right. I remember being surprised about that, but I see now that you were trying to dump your mana...”

Charlotte was next to speak, her indigo eyes sparkling in wonder. “You used that much mana and it still didn’t change things, Sister?!”

“Not in the slightest,” Wilfried replied on my behalf. “It helped so little that Rozemyne ended up being the only one to almost finish the whole class this morning. She was absolutely mortified when this freaked out Lady Hannelore, who was sitting right beside her. She even started taking her anger out on me, saying that it wasn’t fair how little I’m struggling even though I got a bunch of divine protections too.”

Charlotte gave me a sympathetic look, then fell into thought. “Could you not try using even more mana, then? In fact, if you send a letter home saying that you wish to pour as much mana into feystones and magic tools as possible before afternoon classes, then you might even receive them by the time we finish eating...” Her eyes flitted to the children of the former Veronica faction. “As the Lord of Winter is due to appear soon, I am sure the Knight’s Order will appreciate the assistance.”

I could tell that she had wanted to add, “Plus, Ehrenfest is doubtless short on mana due to the purge,” but she had wisely stayed quiet.

“If you want to help out with the Lord of Winter hunt, how about sending herbs?” Wilfried suggested. “The ones in our gathering spot have more mana and elements because of you growing them with your mana, right? Couldn’t you expend a ton of mana if we pick all the herbs, then you heal the spot over and over?”

“That would not be of much use today, as that is too much for us to do in a single afternoon, but the idea is sound. Ehrenfest and I will both benefit.”

We were unable to come up with any other solutions, so I instructed Philine to pen an emergency letter to Ehrenfest. It said, “I received so many divine protections that I cannot control my mana, and I will most likely explode with blessings during this afternoon’s whirling class. Please send any empty feystones and magic tools you have—be they for the Dedication Ritual, the Lord of Winter hunt, or anything else.”

“Roderick,” I said, “please send this to Ehrenfest—and stress that it is urgent.”

“Understood.”

I watched as Roderick briskly exited the room.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne...” Judithe said to me in a quiet voice. “If you have so much mana to spare, could you fill my feystones too?”

“Of course. Ahem... And not just yours, Judithe! Anyone who needs mana, step forth! I shall give mine freely until our dedication whirling class. This is an emergency!”

A stir ran through the common room, but most still seemed hesitant to accept the mana of an archduke candidate. In the midst of all this, there came a light clinking noise as Leonore pulled out some feystones and magic tools from a bag on her hip.

“I would have these filled with mana, then,” she said. “I used them up during training and was just about to need to refill them.”

“I thank you ever so much,” I said, then began to channel my mana into the items she had given me.

Next to come forward was Alexis, one of the boys serving Wilfried as a guard knight. He quite haltingly asked me whether his feystones would suffice as well.

“But of course. I will accept stones from anyone, be it you, Natalie, Matthias, or Laurenz,” I said, looking around the common room.

The apprentice knights promptly raced to their rooms to fetch their feystones and magic tools, leaving behind the minimum number of guards necessary. The apprentice scholars and attendants followed right behind them.

“Milady, I cannot say I approve of you giving away your mana like this...” Rihyarda said.

“I understand, but these are dire times,” I replied, pursing my lips as I started to fill my guard knights’ feystones. I wasn’t being so charitable by choice; rather, I didn’t want to be a ticking time bomb during class.

“Please and thank you!”

The feystones lined up before me varied in size from small to large. I pointed at several among them and said, “There is a risk of smaller feystones like these being turned to gold dust, so take care.”

Those who wanted to keep using their small feystones hurriedly took them back... while some apprentice scholars actually put more forward, their eyes sparkling at the prospect of obtaining gold dust. Soon enough, the table in front of me was completely covered with feystones. I reached out and started filling them one by one.

“I thank you ever so much, Lady Rozemyne.”

Those who received their newly filled stones did so with bright smiles, while others got to work gathering their fresh gold dust. It was then that the bell rang to signify that lunch was ready.

“I will finish the rest after eating,” I announced—and that was precisely what I did. Even as I continued to work my way through the remaining feystones, all of my divine protections meant that I could barely feel any mana leaving me.

“How much must I use to be able to contain my blessings?” I asked.

“None of us can answer that for you, I’m afraid.”

Not long after our meal, the first wave of empty feystones arrived from Ehrenfest; a second wave would apparently be sent at night. I got straight to work filling them with mana so that we could send them back. Many of those Sylvester had sent were fairly large, and they drained a surprising amount of my mana.

“Will this be enough...?” I wondered aloud.

“If you still end up letting out a blessing, then how about pretending to pass out and making a general mess of things so that people are too distracted to notice?” Wilfried said. “After getting a passing grade, I mean.”

Charlotte nodded. “If we say that you simply wanted to bless everyone, even at the cost of depleting all of your mana, then they won’t know just how much mana you have.”

“Lady Charlotte,” Brunhilde interjected, “that may disguise her mana capacity, but it will only cause legends about her sainthood to spread even faster.”

“I would not want that,” I agreed.

Charlotte placed a troubled hand on her cheek. “But it is too late to deny your sainthood any longer, is it not? You received so many divine protections that you refuse to give us the precise number, and blessings seem to overflow from your every action, no matter your intentions.”

“Ngh...”

“Our focus needs to be on how we can disguise your protections and control your image in the eyes of others. It is already widely known that you have plentiful mana and pray as often as you give blessings, so denying this sainthood outright is no longer an option.”

Of course, I wasn’t actually a saint... but Charlotte was entirely in the right.

“We can talk about manipulating Rozemyne’s reputation later,” Wilfried said. “This afternoon’s dedication whirling class comes first, and we don’t have much time left. Rozemyne, maybe you should wear all the charms that Uncle gave you to keep any blessings at bay and plan around spilling as little mana as possible.”

“I shall do just that,” I replied, then hurried to my room. As well as all of my charms from Ferdinand, I also put on a necklace of several feystones strung together for good measure. To an unaware onlooker, it would seem that I wasn’t wearing very many charms at all, but I was wearing a veritable suit of armor of them beneath my clothes.

“That should do it,” I said upon my return. “Wilfried, Charlotte—if worse comes to worst, drag me out of the Small Hall.” As our class was going to be made up entirely of archduke candidates, they were the only ones I could rely on.

My siblings replied with firm, determined nods, while Rihyarda volunteered to stand at the ready outside the door.

After pumping ourselves up, Wilfried, Charlotte, and I entered the Small Hall. It was my first time feeling so tense about whirling practice. Wilfried went over to Ortwin, while Charlotte went to greet her own friend, Luzinde. I greeted Luzinde as well, then looked around for one person in particular.

There she is. Lady Hannelore.

I had seriously weirded her out today; whether it was safe for me to greet her here was a point of serious concern. If she avoided me, I could see myself getting so depressed that I wouldn’t want to leave my hidden room for days.

All of a sudden, my eyes met Hannelore’s. She waved at me with a smile.

She’s not avoiding me! Oh, I’m so happy! Thank you, gods!

I went to greet Hannelore, but Charlotte grabbed my sleeve to stop me. “Sister, you seem a little excitable. Are you well?”

“I... I’m quite fine.”

Right, right. Can’t get excited. Hold it all in. Hold it all in.

I pressed a hand to my chest and took several deep breaths—which only made Luzinde peer at me with concern. “Are you not feeling well today, Lady Rozemyne?” she asked.

“She is fine, but the dedication whirl always places a slight burden on her,” Charlotte explained. “For one, it involves exercise, which she naturally struggles with—but as the High Bishop, she also cannot help but put extra effort into a dance for the gods.” She sounded a little concerned, but her support was perfect. It was an excellent cover for if my dancing did produce a blessing, and it made it safe for me to pretend to pass out.

That’s my little sister for you!

I showered Charlotte with praise on the inside, then noticed that Hannelore was coming our way. Her eyes were flitting all over in worry, most likely because Lestilaut was accompanying her.

“Good day, Lady Rozemyne,” she said.

Charlotte and Luzinde smoothly distanced themselves. This greeting alone had been enough for them to deduce that this was a personal matter.

I smiled at the two Dunkelfelger students. “Good day, Lady Hannelore, Lord Lestilaut. Might you have business with me?”

“When do you intend to hold the tea party between our two duchies?” Lestilaut asked rather bluntly. “Depending on the quality of the hairpin, I may need to order another. I would rather it be done sooner rather than later.”

Was he insinuating that a hairpin from my darling Tuuli might not be enough? I could feel something inside me about to snap—but then Hannelore put a hand on her cheek and shook her head. “Brother, could you not simply be honest and say that you are looking forward to seeing how Ehrenfest’s hairpin turns out?” she said.

“I merely have a passing interest in what a backwater duchy such as Ehrenfest can produce; I would not say I am looking forward to anything.”

“Did you not ask to come over here with me because you wanted to arrange a date for our tea party? Lady Rozemyne always passes her classes the first time around, and, as I recall, you wanted to make the most of this rare opportunity to speak with her.”

Lestilaut turned his head away and gave an arrogant scoff, as if denying the accusation entirely, while Hannelore continued doing her best to smooth things over. It was a question of whom I should trust—and the answer was simple. Hannelore was my friend.

“Lord Lestilaut, I am glad that you are looking forward to seeing the hairpin,” I said. “However, as I also plan to take the scholar course this year, I will not have time to socialize in the near future. Hm... Perhaps we could review our schedules ten days from now? We may be in a better position to make plans then.”

“T-Ten days...? Very well,” Lestilaut replied with a nod.

Hannelore sighed, relieved that we had come to an agreement, and a soft smile arose on her face. It was a pleasant sight, and one that was tragically interrupted as another voice reached my ears.

“Oh my. You ordered a hairpin from Ehrenfest as well, Lord Lestilaut? My fiancé is from Ehrenfest, so I have ordered from them as well.”

It was Detlinde, forcing a very noble laugh as she made her way over.

Lestilaut’s lips twisted into a grimace. “I wish only to confirm the best that a backwater duchy such as Ehrenfest can manage.”

“Ah, is that so? But you still intend to gift yours to whomever you escort, no? In the same way that I shall receive my own.”

Oh, right! I need to emphasize that Ferdinand had nothing to do with designing Detlinde’s hairpins!

Recalling one of my sacred duties, I quickly donned a smile. “Lady Detlinde went all the way to Ehrenfest to socialize with her fiancé. There, she chose the hairpins she desired.”

“Your fiancé did not choose them for you?” Lestilaut asked, sounding a little dumbstruck.

Detlinde’s smile broadened. “He will only be gifting them to me.”

“Hm... I struggle to believe Lord Ferdinand’s aesthetic sense is that poor,” Lestilaut muttered, looking between Detlinde and my hair stick. “What exactly did you have him order for you?”

“I have yet to receive them, so I could not tell you how they look,” Detlinde replied, emphasizing that they were gifts and not a purchase she had made for herself. She then shot me a look that seemed to say, “Explain.”

“Lady Detlinde is due to be gifted five hairpins styled after schentis flowers. They are all on the smaller side, but if you imagine Lady Adolphine’s hairpin, then that should give you a good idea of their appearance. Most notable is how they form a gentle gradient from red to white.”

Hannelore blinked in surprise, while Lestilaut gave a look of exasperation. “You ordered five hairpins just for your graduation ceremony?” he asked.

“In other words, my fiancé is gifting me the most wondrous hairpins possible.” Detlinde’s red lips curved into an even wider grin. “I cannot wait to see them.”

In an annoying twist, Detlinde wasn’t giving verbal confirmation that she had designed the hairpins herself. My only choice was to switch up my approach. The flowery designs themselves very much resembled Adolphine’s hairpins, meaning they weren’t at all unstylish. In other words, when it came time for Detlinde to put on her hairpins, we could just blame her for having decided to wear them all at once.

“The number may come as a surprise,” I said, “but none will go to waste. Each is its own unique color, and the wearer can select which and how many to use when the time comes, to perfectly suit whatever atmosphere or dress is needed.”

“I see,” Lestilaut murmured. “Mixing and matching to create untold variety is rather clever.”

Detlinde puffed out her chest. “Indeed, and it was I who suggested this system, I shall have you know.”

“I am confident that Ehrenfest has met Lady Detlinde’s requests perfectly. Her designs are truly splendid,” I said, doing my best to prop her up.

Detlinde nodded along with a satisfied smile. “They are, aren’t they? I certainly could not have entrusted it all to Ehrenfest’s craftspeople. Nobody knows what suits me better than I.”

It was Brunhilde and the others who came up with all this, but, well... whatever. I finally got Detlinde to admit that she designed them, and that’s good enough for me.

“I must say, I am looking forward to seeing these hairpins at our graduation,” Lestilaut said.

“Indeed,” Detlinde replied. “I am sure you will find yourself stunned silent. Ohohoho.”

As we continued our conversation, the professors entered. Eglantine was among them.

“Lady Eglantine has offered to demonstrate whirling for us today,” our whirling teacher announced. “Watch carefully, everyone, no matter whether you are a junior or a senior.”

Lady Eglantine removed her black cape with a smile and gave it to a woman who was probably her attendant. She then made her way to the center of the room, each step so graceful that one might have thought the dance had already begun, whereupon she knelt.

After a moment of quiet, she shot her head up, then began to move like a leaf on the wind. Her slender arms stretched up toward the ceiling as though she were reaching for the distant heights.

It’s... so pretty!

I could not help but sigh in awe, watching with rapt attention so as not to miss even a second of Eglantine’s whirling. Everything was perfect—the way her fingers sliced through the air, how her clothes swirled around her, her completely focused gaze... Just watching her filled me with happiness.

As I stood there, enraptured, Detlinde heaved an exaggerated sigh; she was due to play the Goddess of Light during this year’s graduation ceremony. “I do not imagine she has any bad intentions, but I cannot approve of this overconfidence. Is whirling after one’s graduation not akin to the Goddess of Chaos pushing forward the God of Winter?”

Instead of complaining about Lady Eglantine’s demonstration being unnecessary or arrogant, how about you watch carefully and try to learn from it? At this rate, Lord Lestilaut’s performance as the God of Darkness will put you to shame.

Charlotte, who was watching the demonstration beside me, smiled at Detlinde. “Professor Eglantine had already graduated by the time I joined the Royal Academy, so I am overjoyed to have this opportunity to witness her splendid whirling myself.”

Eglantine soon finished, at which point it was time for us to practice ourselves. The new students would only be watching, but the rest of us would be dancing with the others in our grades.

As I was heading to the spot for third-years, Eglantine smiled at me. “You performed such a tremendous whirl in your first year, Lady Rozemyne. I cannot wait to see how much you have improved.”

“I can already feel the weight of your expectations, Professor Eglantine,” I replied. It was probably true that she was looking forward to seeing me perform, since she truly did adore whirling as an art form, but it was equally likely that she wanted to extract as much information from me as she could. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have come all this way to a class she had nothing to do with.

No blessings. No blessings. No blessings.

I made eye contact with Charlotte, who was watching by the wall. Her fingers were tightly interwoven, and she looked noticeably tense. We exchanged nods.

This is pretty nerve-racking.

I took a deep breath, then knelt; I needed to finish my dedication whirl without letting out a blessing.

“I am one who offers prayer and gratitude to the gods who have created the world,” Hannelore began. She was leading the prayer as the highest-ranked archduke candidate in our grade, and the rest of us needed to repeat after her. Of course, as I was being so cautious, I mouthed the words and nothing more.

And now for the prayer pose.

To me, whirling was a highly dangerous dance that came with the risk of an impromptu blessing. I honed my senses such that I could feel every nerve in my fingertips and focused my mind to prevent even a single drop of my mana from slipping out. I could say with all confidence that I had never danced so seriously in my entire life.

Even during the slow, opening stages of the dance, my body grew hot and became covered in a sheen of sweat. The very act of breathing started to hurt a little. Giving in to the blessing would have come as a wonderful release from my torment, but I couldn’t risk standing out any more than I did already. I extended my hands and whirled, my hair spinning alongside my long sleeves.

Just a bit more.

The faster I whirled, the heavier my breathing became. I focused on keeping my balance and forced down the mana squirming within me as it turned into a boiling heat.

My fingertips cut through the air for a short while longer, then I returned to kneeling. I could feel cold air against my cheeks, and I was sweating heavily... but it was done. I hadn’t let out a blessing.

I... I win! I worked so hard, and it all paid off. Someone praise me!

But as I exhaled in relief, it suddenly occurred to me—something wasn’t right.

What the heck?! My whole body is sparkling!

The feystones I was wearing had all been filled with my mana, and they were now shining furiously as if to emphasize their presence. My bracelets, my necklace—every charm on me was emitting a dazzling light. I tumbled back onto my rear and tried to cover them with my hands, but there was nothing I could do.

Is this... a good thing? A bad thing? Have I still made it?

I gazed at Charlotte, unable to determine whether this was better or worse than a blessing. She paled and rushed over to me at once.

“Sister, just how much mana did you try to put into that blessing?!” Charlotte exclaimed, speaking much louder than was necessary. “At this rate, you will fall unconscious again!”

“I... I didn’t give a blessing though, right?” I asked to double-check.

Charlotte shook her head. “It did not become a blessing, but, even so, your intention to pray to the gods is known by all. That is more than enough. Brother, let us take our sister to the dormitory.”

“Not yet, Charlotte... I still need to pass...” I replied. After all my hard work, I couldn’t bear to leave now. I turned my attention to the professor, who then seemed to snap back to reality.

“I have observed your most heartfelt and sincerest whirl, Lady Rozemyne. You pass, of course. I must now ask that you get some rest. Please do take care of yourself.”

“I thank you.”

It was then that I noticed the many stunned eyes glued to me; it was hard not to be the center of attention when I was literally sparkling. “Everyone, I apologize for disturbing class,” I said, fighting back the urge to cry.

I worked so hard to avoid this and did everything I could to prepare, but... I still failed.

Wilfried and Charlotte helped me up and escorted me out of the Small Hall. I still wanted to cry, and my body still felt uncomfortably hot.

“Lady Rozemyne...” Rihyarda said when she saw us. “Wilfried, my boy, take Charlotte and return to class. I shall take care of things from here.” She had figured out everything from the state of my feystones, and she wasted no time taking me back to the dormitory.

We arrived to find that the second batch of feystones and magic tools had arrived from Ehrenfest. Filling them up relieved some of the heat inside of me, which felt nice.

“Rihyarda, what’s this?” I asked.

“A letter from Aub Ehrenfest,” she replied. As well as sending me more feystones and magic tools, Sylvester had set a date for his meeting with Hirschur.