Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.10 - Chapter 13

The Lord of Evil’s Machinations

Thanks to my copied teleportation circle, I’d arrived at my destination. Each country gate was basically the same on the inside, so I could tell them apart only by the sigils of the primary gods drawn on their circles. A quick glance was all it took for me to spot Geduldh’s. I must have been in Klassenberg.

“I just need to fill the gate with mana, right?”

I approached the wall and pressed my Book of Mestionora against it. Because I’d already supplied the country gates in Ehrenfest, Dunkelfelger, and Ahrensbach, I was well accustomed to the process.

An easy win. Like taking candy from a baby. Heheheh.

As my mana streamed into the country gate through my Book of Mestionora, I suddenly noticed the magic circle behind me shine. I turned around while taking care not to disrupt the flow.

Huh? What...?

Only those with a Book of Mestionora or the Grutrissheit kept in the underground archive could use these teleportation circles. And as only members of royalty could access the latter, Ferdinand or Gervasio had to be behind this surprise appearance.

Don’t tell me someone’s coming here to sabotage me. There’s only one person who would even consider such a thing...

“Is that you, Ferdinand?!”

“Well deduced,” he replied as he appeared atop the teleportation circle.

“I would ask if you came here by mistake, but let’s be honest, that would never happen. Based on prior experience, I suspect you’re here to sabotage the race that Mestionora and Erwaermen set up.” I pointed straight at him and declared, “You can’t hide anything from me!”

“Well, that saves me having to explain the obvious,” Ferdinand replied, not even attempting to disguise his intentions. I wouldn’t have believed whatever excuses he might have thrown at me, but still—would it really have hurt him to try?

“Go on, then—what are you plotting? How are you going to sabotage me?”

“I take it back; I do need to explain the obvious. Pray tell, how would trying to sabotage you benefit me? I am here to sabotage Gervasio.”

Our race was, in short, a simple, easy-to-understand test to see which of us Zent candidates had the most mana. It would also measure our ability to draw teleportation circles, the completeness of our Books of Mestionora, and our experience in magecraft.

“I was first because of my secret technique, but you drew your teleportation circle much faster than Gervasio,” I said. “I don’t know how much of the mana you expended during battle you’ve managed to recover, but with your vastly more potent rejuvenation potions, you are at a considerable advantage. Why not play fair this time, hm?”

Ferdinand gave a sardonic smile. “Hmph. Fair, you say? Even though you contributed most to sabotaging Gervasio?”

“Um, I did...? That doesn’t ring a bell, I’m afraid.”

“Has your memory not returned, or are you still completely lacking in self-awareness?”

“Probably the latter. I remember what we were doing before Mestionora descended.”

Ferdinand gave his temple a few irritated taps. “I expected you to have learned something by now... It was your idea that we interrupt Gervasio while he was in the Garden of Beginnings. Because of our actions, his Book of Mestionora is severely damaged and mostly incomplete. The Goddess of Wisdom said that even if he returns to the Garden of Beginnings, she will not be able to give him the knowledge he lacks.”

I clapped my hands together, recalling how I’d spread out the God of Darkness’s cape to recover my mana. “Oh, right. That’s one point for lacking self-awareness.”

“As expected. Gervasio’s bible contains only fragments of the route to the foundation. As far as Erwaermen is concerned, all three of us are deeply unappealing Zent candidates with incomplete Books of Mestionora.”

Gervasio’s Book was doomed to forever remain incomplete. And while Ferdinand or I could obtain a complete one, neither one of us wanted to.

If we’re Yurgenschmidt’s last hope, then the future really does seem bleak. No wonder Erwaermen was so eager for me to bring more Zent candidates.

“Just a moment,” I said. “I gave you all the information necessary to complete that magic tool Grutrissheit, remember? Did you not mention that fact to Erwaermen?” Had the former god known that Ferdinand was carrying a largely complete Book of Mestionora, this contest wouldn’t even have been necessary.

“I did not. He thinks my Book is still incomplete—which is not untrue, as there are still gaps in the more irrelevant sections.”

“Oh, fantastic. You’re a great schemer who lies by omission. So impressive. I want to know why you chose to deceive him.”

“I considered it my best move. You need not know any more than that.”

His reasoning aside, it was his shameless declaration that had made Erwaermen announce his intention to take the winner of our race to the foundation.

“And you didn’t think to warn me?” I asked.

“You have a tendency to disclose sensitive information. Thus, I tell you only what is necessary.”

“That’s so mean!” I shouted, fixing him with a sharp glare. Sure, I was used to Ferdinand not telling me things and acting alone, but that didn’t make it any more acceptable. “Can you at least say what you expect me to do? Though I’ll warn you now, I refuse to attack Gervasio or anything of the sort.”

“I would never ask that of you,” he replied, exasperated. “You would never succeed in such a task.”

He had me there. It was actually a little upsetting.

Ferdinand continued, “Once you have finished supplying mana, return to the central building. Contact your guards before you leave the teleportation hall. I shall ask Ehrenfest to prepare somewhere you can rest.”

“Somewhere I can... rest?”

“You will need some time to recover, will you not? You might not be able to use Ahrensbach’s dormitory, but Ehrenfest’s should still be available to you.”

My eyes dropped to the brooch attached to my cape. I’d tried to return it to Sylvester before teleporting to Ahrensbach, but he had told me to keep it until I was officially recognized as an aub. As long as I had it, I could continue to call myself an Ehrenfest noble.

“Um, Ferdinand... I took my attendants to Ahrensbach, remember?” Lieseleta, Gretia, and the others weren’t in Ehrenfest anymore, so we were going to be shorthanded.

“Are you forgetting about Rihyarda, Brunhilde, and Ottilie?”

“Rihyarda has gone back to serving Sylvester, and is Brunhilde not busy preparing for her wedding? I can’t treat them like they’re still my attendants; it would only trouble them.”

“‘Trouble them’? We are doing Ehrenfest a favor.”

“How is putting me up in the Ehrenfest Dormitory anything but an inconvenience?”

“It will prove Ehrenfest’s involvement in this battle for the Sovereignty. As we know, channeling mana into the country gates causes them to shine brilliantly. This will not be quite as obvious now that the sun has risen, but it will not go unnoticed—not unless the duchies overseeing them were as foolish as Ahrensbach and elected not to station knights at their border gates. They will alert their aubs, who will contact the royal family or other Sovereign nobles before rushing to the Sovereignty. In the long term, it will prove fatal for Ehrenfest if Sylvester is not at the Royal Academy.”

In the aftermath of the civil war, there had been a clear distinction between how the winners and losers were treated. Our decision to participate would greatly impact our influence and authority in Yurgenschmidt going forward.

“Ehrenfest must provide support in a way that other duchies can see,” Ferdinand explained. “The intelligence we shared prior to the invasion will mean nothing to anyone but Dunkelfelger, so if we attempt to rely on it, we will struggle to protect Ehrenfest moving forward. The battle against Georgine means that sending reinforcements is out of the question, but they should still have the capacity for rear support.”

Indeed, dawn had already broken; Ehrenfest would surely have people who were awake and ready to help.

“Ehrenfest must make its contribution to the battle painfully clear,” Ferdinand concluded. “There is no shame in taking this opportunity to relax. You will need as much rest as you can get for the tribulations to come.”

Wait. “The tribulations to come”?!

“Excuse me?!” I cried, my eyes wide open. “Just what do you intend to make me do?!”

He tapped a finger against his temple, then gave me the same suspicious smile he wore whenever he was hiding something. “Once you have supplied this gate with mana, I would ask you to supply Hauchletzte’s as well. Only if you feel able, mind you; this is by no means a requirement. Now, I must be going. Take care to seal the teleportation circle behind me. As you do not have your guard knights with you, we cannot be too cautious.”

Ferdinand was on guard against Gervasio even now that the Zent race was underway. He warned me of the potential danger—a reminder that I wasn’t being wary enough. I nodded as I did my best to absorb his every word.

“Remember,” Ferdinand said, “once you have finished supplying mana, return to the Royal Academy and summon your retainers. Listen to them well, then ensure you rest in the Ehrenfest Dormitory. Is that understood?”

“Is there anything for me to do other than Mana Replenishment?” I asked, now feeling the danger as well.

Ferdinand placed a contemplative hand on his chin, then reached out his other arm and gave my shoulder a light shove. I stumbled back a little, but he caught me before I could topple over.

Eesh. That came out of nowhere.

“Were you checking something?” I asked.

“If even that was enough to disrupt your balance, then you will need more practice.”

“Practice? For what, exactly?”

“I wonder if we have enough time...” Ferdinand mumbled instead of answering my question; then he started reactivating the teleportation circle.

“Ferdinand! Wait! You owe me an explanation!”

“Kehrschluessel. Ersterde.”

Seemingly unable to hear me, Ferdinand warped not to his assigned gate in Hauchletzte but to the Royal Academy’s central building.

Why was he so insistent about me resting in the Ehrenfest Dormitory? What is he trying to make me do?

He had something absurd in mind—my history with him told me that much. Anytime he wanted something done, he completely ignored my circumstances and refused to elaborate to ensure I would end up doing as he pleased.

I wish he’d just be frank with me. It’s not like I’d refuse to help. Hmph.

Grumbling on the inside, I sealed the teleportation circle as instructed and returned to supplying the country gate.

As soon as I was done, I teleported to Hauchletzte. Not for Ferdinand, mind you; Yurgenschmidt was in danger and desperately needed more mana. That was my excuse, anyway.

Ngh... I must have overdone it.

Using too much mana and drinking too many rejuvenation potions had given me a splitting headache. The pain went from my neck to my skull, like a sharp blade had suddenly impaled me.

“Guh... To think Ferdinand predicted when I’d need to rest... That’s annoying... And, wait... That means he knew I’d go to Hauchletzte as he asked. That’s even more frustrating.”

I continued to gripe under my breath, pausing only to reactivate the teleportation circle I’d sealed.

“Kehrschluessel. Ersterde.”

The magic circle shone with omni-elemental light, then rose into the air and started to spin. A second magic circle below me activated as well as if swept up in the excitement. Both circles sucked out my mana, and the world around me dissolved into a white haze. My vision swayed so violently that I soon had to squeeze my eyes shut and sit on the floor.

I waited a moment for the floating sensation to fade, then slowly opened my eyes. I’d arrived safe and sound in the Royal Academy’s teleportation hall, but my teleportation sickness combined with my complete lack of mana meant I was feeling rougher than ever.

“Guhhh... This sucks...”

Nonetheless, it wasn’t like I could go to sleep in the teleportation hall. I used what strength I could muster to send a letter to Cornelius announcing my return. He immediately replied that he was outside and that I should cover my mouth before leaving. They intended to take me back to the dormitory by highbeast.

Cover my mouth...?

I slowly rose to my feet, my head cocked, then pressed a hand over my mouth and opened the door. Angelica and Cornelius were waiting right outside, and there was a group wearing Ahrensbach capes farther down the hall.

I didn’t even have time to blink before Angelica threw a large sheet of cloth over me and swept me up.

What the heck?!

I didn’t have a clue what was going on, but I made sure to keep my hand firmly over my mouth, even as what must have been Angelica’s highbeast started to move. Right now, my main duty was to stay quiet.

“My apologies, Lady Rozemyne,” Angelica whispered. “This was the only way to get you to the dormitory without those from other duchies sensing the goddess’s power within you.”

The cloth was removed only once I was inside the Ehrenfest Dormitory. I took a moment to inspect my surroundings, then looked at my knights in a daze; we had entered not through the usual door but through the door one used when returning from the gathering spot.

“Ferdinand instructed you to do this, didn’t he?” I asked. “What is he doing now? Um... Cornelius? Leonore? Matthias? Laurenz?” I’d deliberately omitted Angelica’s name, as I doubted Ferdinand had explained the situation to her.

“Well, er... How do I put this...?” Cornelius muttered. “Hartmut wept and prayed to the gods, but even then, I didn’t think it would be this extreme.”

“You didn’t think what would be this extreme...?”

“The divine power. No wonder Lord Ferdinand gave us strict orders to cover you with silver cloth and move you into the dormitory in secret.”

As it turned out, I was radiating such intense divine power that it was hard to look straight at me. I would never have guessed it from my conversation with Ferdinand; he had seemed as stoic as always.

“Lady Rozemyne,” Leonore interjected, “Lord Ferdinand also ordered that you be put to bed.” Her eyes wandered, and she apologetically continued, “Could you, um... go back under the cloth so that Angelica can take you to your room? We do not want to cause a stir.”

My current predicament must have been even more unusual than I’d realized. I didn’t want to trouble anyone—or wait a moment longer before crawling into bed—so I said, “Certainly” and allowed Angelica to carry me to my room.

The silver cloth was soon removed again, allowing me to see the female attendants busily moving around my room. The moment Clarissa met my eye, she crossed her arms over her chest and knelt.

“O Lady Rozemyne, what divinity!” she wept. “You truly are the avatar of a goddess. I was able to feel your mana being dyed, but I never thought you would return overflowing with divine power. Your Darkness-blessed tresses are glossier than ever before, your Lightness-blessed eyes exude such strength, and even your posture radiates—”

“Clarissa,” Rihyarda snapped, “save your pointless rambling for later and prepare some medicine so milady can rest. A good retainer would never neglect her duties.” She gestured at Bertilde and Ottilie, urging them to make my bed, then looked at me and sighed. “You are deathly pale, milady. If you are too weary for a hot bath, might I suggest you cleanse your body with a waschen once you’ve eaten?”

“Even eating sounds like too much for me...”

Clarissa had gotten straight to work preparing my medicine, and she looked at me with the expression of a honed scholar. “Lord Ferdinand said you must eat before you drink your medicine.”

The medicine in question was an especially intense rejuvenation potion meant to replenish mana in no time at all. I’d wormed my way out of taking a bath, but I was doomed to eat. I gave up and sat down as Brunhilde brought some food in for me.

“Lord Sylvester ordered us here as soon as the knights in the dormitory relayed Lord Ferdinand’s request for aid,” Rihyarda said while serving me. “Our priority is securing a place for you to rest, so we gathered some chefs and came at once. The others are on the way.” It had been such a long time since she’d waited on me like this.

I turned to Leonore, who was standing watch behind me. “From your perspective, what happened while I was up on the altar?”

“Seven radiant beams shot from the divine instruments of the auditorium’s statues, and the three of you disappeared at once. We stared in shocked silence, but not the Dunkelfelgerians; they continued their methodical capture of the Sovereign knights.”

Aub Dunkelfelger had instructed his knights to capture the traitors whether we were there or not, then worked with Magdalena to take down Raublut. The knight commander had fought tirelessly but ultimately lost.

“Together with Dunkelfelger, we restrained the last of the Sovereign knights,” Leonore continued. “It was then that Hartmut burst into tears and started declaring that a goddess had dyed your mana.”

Seriously? There’s no way he came out of that not looking like a total weirdo.

“Your other name-sworn confirmed that your mana had changed, but they could not tell whether it belonged to a goddess. Hartmut was furious; he criticized their uncertainty before launching into a rant about how your power was throbbing with divinity. It was so repulsive and out of place for such a grave battle that we left him bound with the Sovereign knights.”

Wowee. Leonore sure is merciless.

“Lord Ferdinand was the only one to return,” Leonore continued. “We asked about your status, and that was when he told us Mestionora had manifested in you to crown a new Zent. Hartmut had actually been telling the truth, to all of our surprise. Lord Ferdinand is now laying the groundwork for the goddess’s will to be done.”

Hartmut and Ferdinand had made the same ridiculous claims, but only the latter had actually been believed. It was kind of sad, in a way.

“Leonore, can you tell me what exactly Ferdinand might be doing...?” I asked somewhat hesitantly. By not participating in the Zent race and dyeing the foundation, he had gone against the goddess’s will. I couldn’t think of anything else he would need to prepare for.

“Upon his return to the auditorium, he ordered that food and a place to rest be prepared in the Ehrenfest Dormitory. We were given instructions for when you returned. He also relayed the goddess’s wish that no more lives be taken and told the knights of Dunkelfelger to capture—not kill—Gervasio in the event that they found him.” In true Ferdinand fashion, he had peppered his commands with any number of threats.

We had apparently been told to eat and rest in shifts. Ahrensbach’s knights would manage with their provisions, but our allies from Dunkelfelger had to return to their dormitory in groups. Delivering food to the knights engaged in battle was an important duty for rear supporters.

“Ehrenfest is covering our and your provisions,” Leonore continued. “Food prepared in the villa at Lord Ferdinand’s order has been brought to the Ehrenfest Dormitory. After dinner, more will be prepared for Ahrensbach’s knights.”

Ferdinand had said that the food in the Adalgisa villa belonged to Ahrensbach, since it had all come through the Lanzenave Estate. That was fair enough, if you asked me. Ehrenfest had provided the chefs.

“Furthermore... Let’s see... According to Cornelius, Lord Ferdinand also instructed Prince Hildebrand to use his role as a member of the Library Committee to return the key Raublut took.”

The third prince’s mother, Magdalena, had been reluctant to agree; returning the key had seemed anything but urgent, especially when there might have been more traitors lurking around the Academy. There was also the fact that the order had come from Ferdinand, of all people. Any mother in her shoes would worry for her child.

Ferdinand had subsequently informed Magdalena that, through Raublut’s manipulation, her son had acquired a schtappe. He had also mentioned that the Lanzenavians had acquired their schtappes by following him. Magdalena had paled in response, at which point he had smiled and said, “As a new Zent is soon to take the throne, would you not like someone to put in a good word for him and reduce his punishment to some degree?”

Look, I get it—Prince Hildebrand was the only available member of the Library Committee. It wasn’t like we could summon Hannelore all the way from Dunkelfelger. Even so, I can’t believe he’d take advantage of a mother’s love! That really is devious!

I ate my food, less than enthused about what Leonore was telling me, then drank the potion that Clarissa had prepared. Brunhilde put away the plates while Bertilde undid my hair, Rihyarda cast waschen on me, and Ottilie changed my clothes and put me to bed.

“Leonore, is Ferdinand resting as well at the moment?” I asked.

“No, my lady. He went to the Sovereign temple with Prince Anastasius. Hartmut accompanied them to search for Immanuel, the Sovereign High Bishop.”

The Sovereign temple? Wait... Is he after the bible’s key?!

Just as the keys given to the duchies’ High Bishops granted access to those duchies’ foundations, the key to the Sovereign temple’s bible must have led to Yurgenschmidt’s. Ferdinand was systematically crushing every chance Gervasio might have of taking the throne.

But why are you doing all this instead of dyeing Hauchletzte’s country gate?!

We were in the midst of a Zent race emulating speed ditter. But rather than competing, Ferdinand was off playing his own game of treasure-stealing ditter.

“Lord Ferdinand asked that you practice your dedication whirl upon waking. There will also be a meeting with the royal family. He wants you to rest now while you have the chance.”

My dedication whirl?! A meeting with the royal family?! I don’t get it! Where the absolute heck is all this coming from?!

Any thoughts about the current battle were blown right out of my head; there was so much more I needed to ask about. But before I could even figure out where to begin, the medicine kicked in, sending me into a deep slumber.