The Pale-faced Royal Family
An ordonnanz shot into and circled the room before landing on Rihyarda’s arm. “This is Leonore. We have arrived at the Adalgisa villa and will soon return to you. The knights here have agreed to help carry our luggage to the dormitory.”
Thanks to Ferdinand, the villa’s teleportation circle was active again, allowing transportation between Ahrensbach and the Royal Academy. Leonore, Cornelius, Hartmut, and Clarissa had just come back from retrieving their belongings. They had picked up Lieseleta and Gretia at the same time.
“She wants us to welcome the knights when they arrive,” Rihyarda said, “which should be soon if they use the teleportation door. I must go instruct the servants who will receive their luggage. Brunhilde, Ottilie, see milady cleaned up and escorted to the front entrance.”
Rihyarda then departed, leaving me with Brunhilde and Ottilie. They made sure my hair and dress were in order while Bertilde brought over some silver cloth, which was placed gently over my head.
“Damuel, this is Judithe. We are escorting Lady Rozemyne to the entrance hall. Be ready to guard her.”
Another ordonnanz. That meant Damuel would be waiting by the stairs on the second floor. Angelica picked me up and carried me, as she had so many times lately.
“Are you all going to switch places with Leonore and the others to pick up your luggage?” I asked.
Angelica sighed. “I insisted on wearing the same clothes—not that I wouldn’t wash them—but Laurenz told me no. It’s so sad. Lord Eckhart said we should be 011 guard at all times following the war...” Her tone was melancholic, but no ordinary noblewoman would use the recent conflict as an excuse to stop changing her clothes. Laurenz was right to shut her down.
“Ahaha. I doubt Eckhart meant you should wear the same clothes or keep your armor on at all times. Is he not going to retrieve his own belongings?”
“Now that you mention it... he did return to Ahrensbach.”
We arrived at the entrance hall. The door was wide open, and my retainers were entering with those carrying their luggage. I asked Angelica to set me down, then addressed the Ahrensbach knights.
“Everyone, I thank you for your help. Consider it greatly appreciated. I was told you plan to take turns going home. Please rest when you can and keep a close eye 011 Lady Letizia.”
Because of the Lanzenavians’ attack, the nobles still in Ahrensbach’s castle were largely Detlinde’s allies rather than Letizia’s. Detlinde’s group had since been imprisoned, but it wouldn’t be strange if those on her side used this opportunity to start something.
“Worry not, Lady Rozemyne—Lady Letizia is doing fine,” Lieseleta assured me. “She was overjoyed to hear that the fighting at the Royal Academy was over and that you and Lord Ferdinand were safe. Isn't that right, Gretia?”
“It is,” Gretia replied with a nod. “She treated us very well.”
Upon returning to my chambers, Lieseleta and Gretia once again rejoiced that the battle was over and everyone was safe, then reacted with shock when my silver cloth was removed. The dormitory had returned to normalcy.
In the meantime, I practiced dedication whirling in my room.
This sure is tough...
I was used to my new body when it came to moving normally, but whirling was something else entirely. Maybe because of my longer legs or extra weight, my intuition for maintaining my center of gravity had completely evaporated. I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to whirl smoothly enough to earn a passing mark from Ferdinand.
I don’t even know when this new coronation ceremony is being held. Am I going to be ready in time...?
Despite my worries, I continued to whirl. I was also memorizing the script for our meeting with the royal family in preparation for when the day finally arrived.
“Lady Rozemyne, we just received new clothes from the Gilberta Company!” Brunhilde announced. “How wonderful that they came in time!”
It was the morning of our meeting. The clothes were made with thin Ahrensbach cloth given to me by Ferdinand and dyed using methods that were popular in Ehrenfest. They came with a matching hairpin, exactly as ordered.
“The thin cloth was such a splendid choice,” Brunhilde said. “It lets just enough light through. And the hairpin Tuuli made looks as gorgeous as always.”
“Indeed... It really is a wonderful combination,” I replied with a nod and smile. But on the inside, I was panicking.
Tuuli... Is that my hairpin craftsperson?
The name had completely slipped my mind. I must have met them in person when placing my order, but I drew a blank every time I tried to remember their face.
Why can’t I remember...?
They had to be a hairpin craftsperson working for the Gilberta Company. I could picture Corinna and her seamstresses without any trouble at all, so why not this other person she must have brought with her?
What else have I forgotten? Are the memories important, or do they not matter?
As I racked my brain, I suddenly remembered Ferdinand asking me about my memories when I woke up in the Garden of Beginnings. He had said something about Mestionora warping my mind while possessing me.
Could this be the cost of giving one’s body to a goddess?
A chill ran down my spine. My stomach hurt like it was being squeezed. My memories had vanished in such an unnatural way—I didn’t know what I’d forgotten or how to remember it. The very thought was terrifying.
Calm down. You don’t need to worry. There’s bound to be a way to get your memories back.
My thoughts had been a little scrambled at first, but I’d quickly remembered the events that had preceded my encounter with the goddess. Maybe it was optimistic of me to assume, but my missing memories were bound to be knocking around somewhere. I was sure I would remember them soon enough.
For now, though, I still didn’t know anything about this Tuuli person.
“Lord Ferdinand has arrived at the tea party room,” Rihyarda informed me. “He wishes to speak with you before the meeting.”
Ferdinand was the one person with whom I could discuss matters relating to the goddess. I went to approach the door, but Angelica used silver cloth to snatch me up once again.
“Angelica, be more careful with Lady Rozemyne,” Clarissa said. “You are treating her as you would a piece of luggage. Be honored that you have the opportunity to carry a divine avatar and make sure each of your movements exudes graceful delicacy.”
“Right. I will next time.”
It certainly was true that Angelica kept getting rougher with me, but I was much too worried about my memory to care. She could treat me however she pleased as long as she got me to my destination quickly.
Attendants were going in and out of the tea party room in preparation for our lunch meeting with the royal family. Meanwhile, the archducal couple was reviewing everything to make sure there weren't any issues. There was a space in the corner of the room for the retainers of guests to take turns resting, and when we arrived, I saw Ferdinand there with a sound-blocker already activated. I took the seat opposite him, then waited as our attendants made us some tea and took their leave.
“Rozemyne, did you memorize the sheets I gave you?” Ferdinand asked.
“Yes, but there is something more important I wish to discuss. Some of my memories are missing. For example...” I reached up and touched my hair. “I can’t remember the face of the craftsperson who made this hairpin.”
I expected a strong response, but Ferdinand just nodded. “So I would imagine. You cannot even remember the dyer who colored those clothes, can you? You made them your Renaissance. I suspect your memories of them have been severed.”
“Dyer? Renaissance?”
Once again, I desperately racked my brain. “Renaissance” stood out to me—it was the title given to those who joined the archducal family’s personnel to spread the new dyeing method, which had also been used to color the skirt I was wearing. I gazed down and touched the cloth. I’d asked for the method to be used in the first place, so I must have had a dyer in my employ... but I couldn’t remember their face or name.
“Nothing is coming to me...” I muttered. “Ferdinand, what do you know about all this? You said the memories were severed, not gone. Did the goddess tell you something? I must know.”
I rose to my feet, but Ferdinand gestured for me to sit down again, deliberately eyeing my retainers all the while. As much as I wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake whatever secrets he was keeping out of him, we were in full view of an entire room of people; even if they could not hear us, they would want to know what had gotten such a rise out of me.
The incident in the Garden of Beginnings and the truth about Mestionora’s descent would drastically impact the selection of the next Zent. For that reason, I had been told not to say anything at least until our upcoming meeting with the royals was over.
“Mestionora wanted to keep you distracted during her descent, so she cut your ties to anything stronger than your love of books,” Ferdinand explained. “She made it very clear that the memories were severed, not erased. I could not glean any more than that, but I doubt there was much you would prioritize over the library of a goddess. I even have a good idea which people you might have forgotten, though I cannot speak for anything that was festering in your subconscious.”
“So... I cared more about a dyer and a hairpin craftsperson than reading? That doesn’t make any sense—not when I still remember the archducal family and my retainers. You know about the people I’ve forgotten, don’t you? Can you tell me what they’re like?”
Though I thought a little insight might help me to remember, Ferdinand shook his head and refused to elaborate. I didn’t feel anything about the dyer or the hairpin craftsperson, but for my memories of them to have been severed in the first place, they must have once been important to me. I needed to get those memories back.
“How can I restore the connections?” I asked. “Do you know?”
“Given our lack of time and resources, there is little we can do right now. You will need to wait until the next Zent has been chosen. Most of the people precious to you are in Ehrenfest—and commoners, at that. You will not encounter them at the Royal Academy. I will support you later, so just wait for now."
“Later’? Do you promise?”
Ferdinand nodded, and the tension drained out of my body. As much as he kept secrets and tried to manipulate me to do as he wanted, he never outright lied to me. His promise meant he would eventually help me, even if our hands were tied for now.
“May I proceed with the pre-meeting?” Ferdinand asked. “There is not much time before lunch.”
“Yes.”
“Dunkelfelger’s archducal couple has arrived,” an attendant by the door announced just as fourth bell rang. Sylvester and Florencia welcomed them as the hosts of today’s meeting.
“Take your seat,” Ferdinand told me. “And remember not to do anything funny.”
Ferdinand and I were attending not as hosts but as guests. I was invited as the current owner of Ahrensbach’s foundation and the divine avatar of a goddess here to grant the Grutrissheit, while Ferdinand was invited as the fiancé of the duchy’s next aub by royal decree.
But I’m the only one being made to sit here. This is so uncomfortable... Curse you, Ferdinand.
During a gathering such as this one, it was customary for all guests to greet the highest-ranking attendees. These people of note were given chairs some distance away from the main table to avoid obstructing other guests and attendants. Putting me here was a sly trick to emphasize that, as a divine avatar, I was superior to the royal family.
I almost couldn’t believe how many people were surrounding me. My knights were standing in a row behind my chair, while Ferdinand and Hartmut were standing to my immediate left and right, respectively.
“Ferdinand, should you not sit as well...?” I asked. “You’re going to look strange if you just keep standing there. It makes you seem like one of my retainers.”
“Only those of equal status may sit beside you. If we waived that rule for my sake, it would detract from your importance as a divine avatar and defeat the whole point. One of your retainers can take my place at your side if you would prefer, but I suspect Philine or Roderick will immediately bend if one of the royals complains about your status.”
“Please stay where you are. Your support heartens me.”
“As I thought.”
It was then that Dunkelfelger’s archducal couple concluded their greetings: “Aub Ehrenfest, we are grateful that you decided to host this meeting. I also sincerely appreciate the role you played in letting my duchy experience true ditter.”
They went to sit down, noticed that I was waiting to be greeted as well, and then strode over with wide eyes. I almost stood up on instinct—I was so used to their status exceeding my own—but a subtle nod from Ferdinand reminded me to stay still.
Dunkelfelger’s archducal couple soon knelt before me. “O Mestionora, Goddess of Wisdom, let our duchy be blessed.”
Ferdinand had told those in our immediate circle to treat me as they normally would, so only Hartmut and Clarissa had knelt upon seeing me. Their displays of reverence, which I’d taken to be excessive, must have actually been the norm for nobles in the presence of divine mana.
The aub and his wife were showing respect not to me but to the goddess-dyed mana now inhabiting my vessel. That was why Ferdinand had ordered me not to get carried away—I would need to face the consequences when the divine mana faded. I wasn't really sure what it meant to ‘get carried away’ in this scenario, but I now had an archduke kneeling before me whose status had always exceeded my own. It was as uncomfortable as when Benno and the others had knelt to me for the very first time.
“Aub Dunkelfelger,” I said, “I apologize, but Mestionora has returned to the distant heights. She might have dyed my mana, but I am still only Rozemyne and cannot give a goddess’s blessing.”
“Oh, that is a shame.”
Though my explanation sounded a little awkward, the influence of my divine mana remained. Dunkelfelger’s archducal couple refused to stand.
“I never thought the day would come when I would fight alongside a true divine avatar...” Aub Dunkelfelger said. “The knights of my duchy regret that you were not there to witness our heroic victory against the Sovereign Order.”
The archduke continued even as the attendants began pouring tea, explaining everything he and his troops had accomplished. Many of Dunkelfelger’s knights were still overjoyed to have participated in such an enormous ditter match. The same couldn't be said for the knights of Ahrensbach, who were on edge about overseeing and interrogating their Lanzenave prisoners.
“I am told my husband might be put on the throne depending on the royal family’s words and actions during this meeting...” Sieglinde mused aloud. She glanced cautiously at the door. “I... wonder how they will respond to the current situation.”
I was deeply concerned about the future of the country’s royals. My eyes also wandered to the door, which the attendants were opening to welcome a new wave of guests.
“Now, if you will excuse us...” Sieglinde said, then took her husband to their seats just as the royal family entered. There was an emaciated-looking Trauerqual with his first wife, Ralfrieda; Sigiswald and Adolphine; Anastasius and Eglantine; and the young Hildebrand with his mother, Magdalena. It was springtime, but the third prince was keeping his hands in a fur muff.
Under normal circumstances, for a gathering like this one, rulers would choose to bring only their first wives. It was surprising to see Magdalena here, but she had received an invitation both as a knight who had led the charge to smite Raublut and as the third prince’s mother. She would need to take responsibility for her son’s actions.
Oof.. They look so pale and sick as heck.
Still, could anyone blame them? They must have heard the gist of what we intended to discuss from Anastasius and Magdalena.
“Aub Ehrenfest, I thank you for hosting us today,” Trauerqual said in a slightly raspy voice. Then he knelt in front of me alongside the rest of the royal family “O Mestionora, Goddess of Wisdom, we beseech you for your blessing.”
“I wish to reward you all for your goodwill and persistent hard work,” I said. “It was not lost on me that Prince Sigiswald gave me a symbol of authority in my time of need.”
I turned to Hartmut and gave him the same signal we had agreed upon during our pre-meeting. He reacted at once and passed me a leather pouch. Sigiswald must have realized what was inside because his eyes darted between Sylvester and me, betraying offense.
“No, um... That is actually—”
“My apologies. You went out of your way to prepare it for me, but the chain was damaged as a result of the nonstop fighting. I thought it best to return it right away.”
I was being sincere—we really didn’t have much time. I'd spent the previous night inspecting the chain, making sure it was ready to be returned, only to accidentally bombard it with the divine mana leaking out of me. The chain had immediately turned to dust, and even the feystone part had ended up brittle.
I need to return it now, while it still at least somewhat resembles its original shape!Before it crumbles away entirely!
Sensing the urgency, I took the necklace from its small pouch.
“Rozemyne,” Ferdinand interjected, “do not grab it with your bare hands, or—”
“Oops!”
His warning came too late; the feystone portion had clung to its form, but my touch reduced it to powder. The royals inhaled sharply and stared in disbelief. I really hadn’t meant to break it. The divine mana was to blame, and it wasn’t even something I could control.
“M-My apologies once again,” I said. “I assume gold dust made from goddess-dyed mana is exceptionally valuable as a brewing material, considering its vast mana capacity and many elements, so, um... Hopefully, that makes up for the loss.”
I returned the dust in my hand to the pouch, which I then held out to Sigiswald. He stared at it in silence for a few seconds before finally smiling and accepting it. “I am glad our symbol of authority was of use to you,” he said.
Ferdinand smirked and touched my hairpin. “Gold dust made from divine mana, hm? How I envy you, Prince Sigiswald...”
You’re begging for ingredients now, of all times?! Get a grip! Your “mad scientist" attitude isn’t welcome here! Look how awkward you’ve made the royals!
Trying to suppress my internal outrage, I put on a divine smile befitting a goddess. “Goodness, Ferdinand... If you need gold dust, I am more than willing to give you some. But you must provide your own materials and feystone.”
“I am grateful for the Divine Avatar of Mestionora’s consideration,” Ferdinand replied. Despite his teasing voice and venomous smile, he seemed exceptionally pleased; obtaining new research ingredients was just that important to him.
Well, I want to keep him in a good mood. For my sake and the royal family’s...
“Let us eat lunch before our meeting,” I said, not wanting our guests to have to keep kneeling before me.
We all took our seats, and the attendants started serving us. We had asked that everyone bring as few retainers as they could, but even then, there were enough people gathered that the room felt more cramped than when we’d invited archduke candidates of every duchy to a tea party.
Hildebrand took his hands out of his fur muff to reveal the schtappe-sealing bracelets on his wrists. Everyone outside the royal family watched as they were removed.
“He should not have a schtappe yet,” Magdalena explained, having read the room. “And as he acquired it through illicit means, we must forbid its use.”
The third prince cast his eyes down, desperately holding back tears in the face of his mother’s stern remarks. One could tell at a glance that he had already been lectured to the ends of the earth about his crime. It wasn’t his fault—Raublut had manipulated him—but not even children were shown mercy in this world. Seeing him now reminded me of when Wilfried was punished for entering the Ivory Tower, which filled me with bitterness.
Maybe I can help somehow, like I did way back then...
As I gazed upon Hildebrand, I noticed that Eglantine was eyeing me closely. She looked as pretty as ever, but her smile gave me no clues as to what she wanted. I gave her a vague smile in response.
“Today’s menu shall comprise Ehrenfest dishes made with Ahrensbach ingredients,” Sylvester announced. It was our way of demonstrating that our two duchies were still on good terms despite Georgine’s war—or if nothing else, that Ehrenfest was still on good terms with me.
There hadn’t been time to devise a new menu or have the court chefs practice new recipes, so we had no new dishes with which to wow our guests. Still, it was a rare and welcome opportunity for them to enjoy seafood.
“These dishes really stand out from the Ehrenfest food we ate during the Archduke Conference,” said Ralfrieda, the Zent’s first wife.
“Indeed," Florencia replied with a smile. “As these are Ahrensbach ingredients, we rarely have the chance to eat them ourselves. We have Lady Letizia to thank for providing them.” She turned to me, indicating that this was our chance to hammer home our good relationship with Letizia.
“Quite,” I said. “The dockworkers of Ahrensbach sent so much fish to the castle as thanks for defending the port from the Lanzenavians and granting even the commoners healing. In that sense, we should also thank Lady Hannelore for today’s meal.”
“Her fighting was excellent,” Ferdinand added. “The moment she proposed using wolfaniels to capitalize on our enemies’ lack of mana, I knew she was a true archduke candidate of Dunkelfelger. I am grateful that she and her duchy responded to Rozemyne’s call for aid.”
We spent a while discussing the Purge of Lanzenave and the subsequent battles, but our focus soon turned to the investigation into the Sovereign Knight’s Order and the current status of the Royal Academy.
“Our probe into those Raublut incited is progressing quite smoothly,” Sigiswald informed us. “As it turned out, there were many Lanzenavians among the Sovereign knights in the auditorium. A scholar working on the investigation tells us the influence of trug on them has begun to fade. Not everything is clear, but their memories can be read, making it fairly simple to identify the criminals and their co-conspirators.”
Ferdinand glanced at me. “That would be because Rozemyne’s waschen wiped away everything brought from Lanzenave.”
“Goodness...” I muttered. “The Goddess of Water’s divine might truly is impressive.”
My only aim had been to stop the use of any more instant-death poison; I certainly hadn’t expected to ease the sway of our enemies’ trug. Anastasius wore a grimace as he thought back to the battle—the whirlpool had thrown him all the way up into the audience seating—but still... Such was the glorious power of the goddess who washed away Ewigeliebe and brought about spring.
Most of the Sovereign nobles had since been put through a waschen to ensure that nobody else was under the influence of trug. Those who were clear found themselves submerged in water only briefly, but the rest had to wait as their minds were slowly cleansed.
“I was underwater so long that I thought my retainers might end up drowning me before my inevitable execution...” Trauerqual said, a distant look in his eyes. Raublut had used trug on him over such an extensive period, determined to make Gervasio the next Zent, that scrubbing its influence had taken an obscenely long time.
“As for the current state of the Royal Academy...” Eglantine said, “Aub Klassenberg rushed over in response to both the sudden activation of his country gate and Dunkelfelger’s request for aid.”
“As did Aubs Hauchletzte and Gilessenmeyer,” Adolphine added. “Though it isn’t yet time for the Archduke Conference, more and more aubs are gathering at the Academy.”
The higher-ranking duchies Dunkelfelger had contacted knew only that Lanzenavians had invaded the Sovereignty through Ahrensbach. They desperately tried to gather more information at the Academy but weren’t able to obtain any meaningful answers; an announcement had gone out that anyone who stepped foot outside their dormitory would be cut down without warning.
“Many duchies have contacted us wanting to know more about the situation,” I said. “We have yet to respond to any of them.”
The results of our meeting would be compiled into a report, which would then be distributed to all the duchies in Yurgenschmidt. Only then did it strike me what an insane predicament I was in.
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