Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.11 - Chapter 10

Operation: Mana Drain

“Though I’m glad to have passed, I’ve still got mana to spare. What next?”

I’d redrawn the country’s borders, dyed the entire foundation, and even filled every magic tool on my way from the statue to the library’s exit. Yet my mana was still a quarter full, and the divine power I’d received from the gods remained. It was definitely unnatural; I doubted anything would be able to drain me completely.

“For now, fill any tools you might need when you take over as Aub Ahrensbach,” Ferdinand replied.

We parted ways with Eglantine and Anastasius, who needed to fetch Gervasio from the gate where he was imprisoned, and started toward Ahrensbach’s gathering spot. A teleportation door in the central building took us to the Adalgisa villa, whereupon Ferdinand urged me onto his highbeast.

“It really is a shame I can’t use Lessy...” I griped. Because of the gods, my mana no longer matched what was registered to his stone. “Flying around would drain a little more of my mana.”

“It would not have been wise while your memories are still fragmented,” Ferdinand shot back. I didn’t understand the reason for his concern, but it must have been important. “You have done so much, and your health is in such a sorry state that I would normally advise you to drink a rejuvenation potion before bed... but that will not be an option if we cannot drain your mana. We must act fast, or your stamina will run out first. There is a potion that uses mana to heal wounds and restore strength, but we should save it for the worst-case scenario; it is not suitable for you.”

“In what sense?” I asked. Did it taste even worse than the ultra-nasty version?

“To expend what remains of your mana, we would need to wound you. Gravely. We might be forced to cover your limbs in cuts or even shoot through them with—”

“Waaah! Stop! No way! I don’t want to go that far! No bleeding! No pain!”

I shook my head so frantically that it must have been a blur. Ferdinand wore the solemn expression of a mad scientist observing his newest guinea pig. I would rather he not contemplate the gravest injury he could give me without putting my life in danger.

“The potion heals the wound all at once,” Ferdinand explained. “It may be quick, but the process is too unbearably agonizing to describe. That is why we must leave it as a last resort.”

“Have you ever used one?”

“Of course. You would not be the first person to whom I gave such a potion; though I cannot say whether anyone else has actually consumed one.”

He must have been referring to when he’d first developed the potion, which made his calm tone all the more unnerving. I wasn’t sure who had ended up as his test subject, but it couldn’t have been a welcome experience.

“But alas,” Ferdinand continued, “you have an aversion to pain. We have no choice but to rely on trial and error until we find the best way to rid you of your remaining mana. A few experiments should tell us if mana contributions not tied to a blessing are enough or if you can safely wield a divine instrument.”

I could only hope that praying was unnecessary—we would save ourselves a lot of time if so. That was why we had come straight to Ahrensbach’s gathering spot. Some of the nobles from the villa had accompanied us.

My eyes widened as I took in our surroundings. “This is even worse than Ehrenfest’s gathering spot used to be.” It must have been completely abandoned, as only the poorest ingredients dotted the grass. How would Ahrensbach’s students gather the materials they needed for their classes—or brew anything half decent, for that matter?

“I thought most duchies regenerated their gathering spots after being taught the prayer...” I muttered.

“The lesser and middle duchies on the losing side of the civil war lacked the mana and manpower to perform the ritual properly. Ahrensbach, on the other hand, had no excuse. Its gathering spot only looks so tragic because of Detlinde’s negligence and the hostility she feels toward you and the royal family.”

Ferdinand told the Ahrensbach knights and scholars not serving as his retainers to stay in the air, then descended to the gathering spot. So barren was the space before us that not even feybeasts cared to frequent it. There were a few gathered, at most. Ehrenfest’s spot hadn’t been anywhere near as desolate, yet it had still drained me the first time I’d regenerated it. Our plan was sure to work.

“Rozemyne,” Ferdinand said, “begin.”

“Right.”

At my request, Clarissa and Gretia removed my silver cloak. I got on my knees, then pressed my hands against the ground and channeled mana into the magic circle carved into it. The circle’s outer edge shone green.

“Is your divine power going down?” Ferdinand asked.

“Not as far as I can tell. But all I’m doing is making the circle glow. If we want to heal the land, someone needs to chant the prayer.”

“I shall do it. Continue to focus on your mana.”

The magic circle activated as soon as Ferdinand started praying to Flutrane. It continued to shine as it rose above the ground. My mana steadily enriched the land, causing bushes to grow and young buds to blossom. Those of us from Ehrenfest were well acquainted with the sight, but for the Ahrensbach nobles who hadn’t healed their gathering spot before, it was like watching a genuine miracle.

“Ooh! Spectacular! Mestionora’s avatar is wielding her divine power!”

“To think the gathering spot could thrive in mere moments... I cannot believe my eyes.”

As our spectators cried out in excitement, I felt the divine power of the gods swell within me.

“Well, Rozemyne?”

“It might not be as prominent as when I used the Goddess of Light’s divine instrument, but there’s a response. Replenishing this gathering spot required too much mana for the power to grow larger than it was before.”

“I see. Then you can pour your mana into the barren land across Ahrensbach.” Ferdinand gave the slightest smile, subtle enough that nobody else would notice. He must have been relieved that we had other options for draining my mana.

“Rather than going to all the trouble of performing Spring Prayer, do you think I could simply form a chalice with my schtappe and use that to distribute my mana?” I asked.

“That depends. How did your mana respond when you formed the Goddess of Light’s crown?”

I thought back to the ceremony. Eglantine’s vow had caused the instrument to flash and the divine power within me to swell. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea after all.

“Your expression tells me all that I need to know,” Ferdinand said.

“In that case, maybe I could channel mana into the temple’s divine instruments. They were made by a Zent of the past, so they shouldn’t break that easily. We could soar over Ahrensbach with Geduldh’s chalice, showering the land with mana.”

“Hmm...” Ferdinand placed a hand on his chin and cast his eyes down, mulling over my suggestion. “I cannot envision it going well, but it would make Spring Prayer simpler to complete. Your mana could also be used to brew with. I just acquired new materials.”

“Maybe, but most feystones and magic tools would turn to gold dust the moment I touched them,” I said, thinking back to the chain I’d received from Sigiswald. Overwhelming a feystone wasn’t too much of an issue, but I was afraid of what my mana might do to a magic tool.

“You need not stress,” Ferdinand assured me. “Any dust you inadvertently create can be put toward your library city. Given the urgency of performing the entwickeln, I plan to make as much dust as we require from the materials we gather here.” We needed to repair the damage done by the Lanzenavians and destroy the Lanzenave Estate, severing its connection to the villa Eglantine planned to move in to.

“If entwickeln didn’t use the names of the supreme gods, I would make my city at once,” I grumbled, my lips pursed. “I need to use this mana before it kills me, but I can’t put any toward the things that actually interest me.”

Ferdinand gave me a comforting pat on the head. “Complaining will not change the situation. We have solutions for your excess mana, at least. Let us test them one by one.”

“True enough...” A genuine smile arose on my face as I gazed up at him. “I really am glad to have you here with me.”

He knit his brow, then turned to the nobles in the sky above us. “Cease your chattering and gather! We shall turn the materials you collect into gold dust for an entwickeln that will repair the damage done to Ahrensbach by the Lanzenavians. Look out for any that are elementally rich, and remember that they will soon form the estates you call your homes.”

The nobles tensed up and went straight to gathering. Hartmut approached them in his High Priest robes, having dumped the post-ceremony cleanup on the Sovereign nobles.

“The abysmal state of Ahrensbach’s gathering spot meant that Lady Rozemyne had to replenish it with her divine power. Make no mistake, though—once the materials for the entwickeln have been gathered, future replenishments will fall to the duchy’s students or the adults attending the Archduke Conference. Are you aware that the perception of religious ceremonies has improved in the Royal Academy and that the nobles of other duchies have begun praying to obtain further divine protections? Perhaps not, as Ahrensbach never participated in any of the Academy’s ceremonies.”

Clarissa nodded vigorously in agreement and flourished her blue cape. “The nobles of Dunkelfelger have been performing religious ceremonies day in and day out.”

Translation: they’re playing nonstop ditter.

Hannelore had mentioned something of the sort—that they were using the research of pre- and post-ditter ceremonies as a pretext to play even more matches than usual. I couldn’t remember when, though.

Hartmut continued, “Ahrensbach must also start performing ceremonies at the Royal Academy. Otherwise, its students will end up obtaining the fewest divine protections of any duchy despite being overseen by Lady Rozemyne. Do not forget that Ahrensbach has fallen behind in matters of religion and prayer due to the obstinate ignorance of the now-imprisoned Detlinde.”

Again, Clarissa nodded. “The Divine Avatar of Mestionora shall take over as Ahrensbach’s aub and free the duchy from the sway of Chaocipher, Goddess of Chaos. But if you and everyone else are loath to perform ceremonies, her compassion might soon dry up.”

And with that, the pair’s brainwashing of the Ahrensbach nobles was complete. They went straight to gathering materials, intense looks on their faces.

“Strahl,” Ferdinand said, “oversee the gathering and transport of any materials to the Ehrenfest Dormitory. Rozemyne will turn them into gold dust. Her retainers should return to the dormitory with her. Lieseleta and the others are sure to have everything ready.”

“Understood.”

No sooner had we returned to the Ehrenfest Dormitory than Sylvester and the others came rushing over. Those in the audience had clearly felt the rise in my divine power, and they’d started to worry when I’d taken leave of the ceremony without any indication that I would return.

“We’ve prepared a meeting room, as requested,” Sylvester announced. “I won’t ask you, Ferdinand—I already know you were sneaking around during the ceremony—but Rozemyne, how are you?”

“You will find out soon enough,” Ferdinand replied on my behalf, indicating that I would be the topic of our conversation while urging the archducal couple into the other room. Everyone else was made to step outside, leaving only the four of us, and an area-affecting sound-blocker was activated.

“I will spare you all the more complicated details,” Ferdinand said. “Mestionora descended into Rozemyne again, and various other gods granted her their divine power, all so she could fill Yurgenschmidt’s foundation with mana.”

“And did she?” Sylvester asked.

“She did, but the divine power in her body remains. It is beyond what a mortal vessel can bear, so she must be drained and dyed with human mana posthaste.” He had elected not to mention that this was all the result of the gods getting carried away and making an unfortunate mistake.

As attentive as ever, Sylvester immediately understood what Ferdinand was trying to say. “So... the gods ordered you to summon winter early?”

“As persistent as always, but that is not what we are here to discuss. Rozemyne has unique circumstances; her color changes freely, and dyeing her will come easily whether winter arrives early or not. Thus, there is no need to do as you imply—I will give her the potion and peer into her memories as before.”

It was hard not to notice the prickly atmosphere surrounding the two. Ferdinand was pretty much glaring at Sylvester, his features twisted in a displeased grimace.

I cocked my head at the pair. “Um, what does it mean to summon winter early? The phrase has come up a lot as of late, but its meaning eludes me. At most, I’m aware that it isn’t being used literally.”

The archducal couple froze at once, smiles plastered on their faces, and the mood in the room grew much heavier than before. It was like I’d dropped a bombshell. I didn’t know what I’d done wrong, but I could sense that it was serious.

“My apologies,” I said. “Should I not have asked? I thought it best to, since this clearly has something to do with me. If you would rather I consult someone else, tell me.”

“Out of everyone in the dormitory... Rihyarda might be your best bet,” Sylvester replied. “But don’t blame me if you regret asking her.”

Ferdinand exchanged a look with his brother, then heaved a frustrated sigh. The matter had something to do with him as well, it seemed.

As I debated whether to ask Rihyarda, Florencia rested a hand on her cheek. “Indeed, this is not something two men should tell you. But do not ask Rihyarda; I shall explain instead. To understand what it means for winter to come before autumn, one must first consider the latter’s symbolism.”

“Autumn stands for ripening and the harvest, does it not? Schutzaria’s divine instrument represents defense and protection... And she has many artistic subordinates, so the season sometimes portrays art in general. There are also new revelations and the passing of time. And... farewells, I suppose?”

Now that I thought about it, autumn had so many meanings. According to the books I’d read, at least.

“In recent love stories, Jugereise tends to signify lost love and separations,” I continued. “In the bible, however, she is more a symbol of young adults leaving the nest. Male archduke candidates leaving their castle upon coming of age and women leaving their duchy upon being wed tended to pray for her divine protection.”

My thorough understanding of the bible and the language used within its stories was one of the main reasons why modern love stories confused me. The allusions to various gods were confusing on their own, and it didn’t help that their symbolism had changed so much over the years.

“How does someone with all the pieces still not know how to combine them?” Ferdinand asked, pressing a hand against his forehead.

“You may set those interpretations aside for now,” Florencia told me. “As well as harvests and the like, autumn signifies ripening—the coming of age. Now, think about the associations with winter and how the primary gods act during the cold season.” A slight smile graced her lips. “Your understanding from the bible will do.”

“Well, from a biblical perspective, that would mean not waiting for someone to come of age before... HYAAAAAAH?!”

The moment I made the connection, I was overcome with embarrassment. No wonder everyone felt so awkward. I also remembered telling Eglantine that I would get Ferdinand to dye me once I used up all my mana. In hindsight, that wasn’t something to be said so openly.

NOOO! SOMEONE, TURN BACK TIME! BEGONE, THIS MOMENT! THOU ART HIDEOUS BEYOND MEASURE!

I now understood the reason for Eglantine’s perplexed, somewhat uncomfortable expression, and it made me want to cry. The embarrassment was too much to bear. I slid out of my seat and pounded my fists against the thick carpet, thwarted in my desperate attempt to dig a deep hole and dive straight into it.

“Figured it out, did you?” Sylvester asked. “And now you want the earth to swallow you up. We’ve all been there, believe me.”

“No... Y-You don’t get it,” I choked. “This is awful... Calling winter early, skipping autumn, dyeing one’s mana... It all... It all means...!” My mouth merely opened and closed as words failed me.

Ferdinand peered down at me, an understanding look on his face. “You have nothing to fear. I will not be doing anything of the sort.” He had told me that asking to be dyed in someone else’s colors was a fairly direct invitation, so why hadn’t I noticed the connection to dyeing mana?

Because he dyed me with potions and magic tools whenever the need arose.

“The fault lies with you, Ferdinand!”

“No, the fault lies with your abnormal upbringing. And if you wish to point fingers, then you are even more to blame for your poor intuition and failure to grasp noble euphemisms.”

“Her abnormal... upbringing?” Florencia asked, looking around in surprise. She must not have known that I was a commoner with the Devouring or that I bore the Mark of Ewigeliebe. Was now the time to tell her?

I eyed the two men in the room. They exchanged glances, then shook their heads at me.

“Though I cannot yet tell you the details,” Ferdinand replied in my stead, “Rozemyne has physical attributes that distinguish her from other nobles—attributes that have put her under the influence of my mana since before her adoption into the archducal family. If I dye her again, her name-sworn will sense only that her mana has returned to normal.”

It wasn’t that hard to detect changes to another person’s mana capacity. Changes to the color of their mana, however, were another story. If someone dyed my mana, only my name-sworn would notice, no matter how great the change might be.

“In other words,” he continued, “there is nothing to worry about. I will spread the news that Rozemyne’s divine power faded when she gave Lady Eglantine the Grutrissheit.”

“Just a moment!” I exclaimed. “My mana was still divinely dyed when Lady Eglantine gave me her name! She’ll come to the same conclusions as Sylvester and Florencia! And even if we use a potion... Um... Mana-dyeing is, I mean... D-Doesn’t one need to be Starbound before...? Ngh, it’s all one big misunderstanding!” I cradled my head and groaned in shame, tears welling from my eyes.

“Keep your emotions under control,” Ferdinand warned me. “The divine power within you will grow as unstable as your mana.”

“How can I? I mean, we’re...”

It was my first time being the focus of such an embarrassing discussion. I didn’t have any experience with the subject matter, and the last thing I’d ever expected was to be drawn into a conversation like this. My only fiancé had said that being engaged to me was painful, for goodness’ sake! I was so uncomfortable that I wanted to die.

Sylvester looked at me and sighed. “There’s no point arguing with him. Anyone else would understand what you’re going through even now that we’re all on the same page, but Ferdinand doesn’t know the first thing about a young woman’s heart.”

“Yes, I’m aware...” I muttered, though I still gave Sylvester my sharpest glower.

Ferdinand grimaced and gestured to my seat. “Then enough with this unseemly behavior of yours. You cannot use a rejuvenation potion until your mana has been fully drained, and your stamina must not run dry before then.”

Faced with such a thick carpet, I wouldn’t be burrowing into the earth anytime soon. I got up and returned to the table.

“Now, if we could return to the matter at hand...” Ferdinand said. “Rozemyne’s mana must be fully drained to eliminate the divine power within her. Of course, that is much easier said than done.”

Divine mana was tough to drain, and that was far from the worst of our problems. If my normal mana regenerated too soon, it would clash with the divine power that lingered in my body and eventually kill me. Sylvester’s and Florencia’s eyes widened as Ferdinand continued with his explanation.

“As I am sure you know, Ahrensbach is in dire need of an entwickeln. I plan to use Rozemyne’s excess mana to produce gold dust, a portion of which I shall give to Gerlach as compensation for the estate she destroyed. To that end, I ask that you deliver materials to her over the course of today. The materials from Ahrensbach’s gathering spot will not be enough, so I would request Ehrenfest’s assistance as well.”

There was a brief pause before Ferdinand said, “Oh, another point of note—as part of our entwickeln, we intend to construct houses for the Gutenbergs. I would appreciate copies of the schematics used for the entwickeln in Groschel; the Plantin and Gilberta Companies designed their own stores there, as I recall.”

For the city’s other workshops, Ferdinand would take inspiration from Ahrensbach’s standard architecture.

“Could you tell the Gutenbergs to start their move?” he continued. “Rozemyne will need subordinates, so I wish for at least some of them to be living in Ahrensbach by the end of the Archduke Conference. They should already be preparing to leave, so I doubt this will cause them much trouble.”

I nodded in agreement. Even for commoners, Ferdinand’s demands were anything but unreasonable. The Gutenbergs needed to move at the same time as me if they wanted to settle into their new roles.

“That won’t be a problem, but...” Sylvester turned to me. “Rozemyne, won’t you want to meet with them and give the order personally?”

Despite the circumstances, I still remembered some of the Gutenbergs. Benno and Mark, for example. I missed them and would have appreciated a reunion, but there were huge gaps in my memories of the lower city.

I shook my head and replied, “The goddess’s descent fragmented my memory.” Then I gazed at Ferdinand. “Would my hairpin craftsperson attend such a meeting?”

“I suspect so,” he replied. “I would advise you against seeing the Gutenbergs. It would end in disarray whether you remember them or not, and your untamed divine mana would endanger your life and the lives of all those around you. At the very least, wait until your divine mana has been purged and a meeting without retainers can be arranged.”

I cocked my head at him, not really understanding his concern. It was hard to imagine how I might react to people I couldn’t even remember.

Ferdinand’s eyes lowered when he saw my reaction. “Sylvester—though we plan to stay here tonight for the creation of our gold dust, we will need to return to Ahrensbach tomorrow whether Rozemyne’s mana is depleted or not. If we do not finish draining her now after everything we have done, there will not be a second chance; she will succumb to the divine power clashing with her restored mana and climb the towering stairway... as will all those name-sworn to her.”

Sylvester squeezed his eyes shut; in that worst-case scenario, Eglantine would die immediately after becoming the Zent. “At this rate, Rozemyne really will end up with the country’s future on her shoulders. And she’s lost her memories? This is far too great a burden for her. Rozemyne, do you go out looking for trouble or are you unlucky enough that it simply finds you?”

“I am quite alright,” I replied, trying to console him. “I am barely even aware of my lost memories. As long as I do not focus on them, they do not inconvenience me in the slightest.”

Ferdinand shook his head. “That is no excuse to act so unconcerned. As it stands, you will never be able to regain your memories.” He then picked me up without so much as a warning and strode toward the door.

“She’s in your hands, Ferdinand,” Sylvester called after us. “I’ll do everything I can to help.” He sent out an ordonnanz announcing that our meeting was over, and the doors opened as his retainers moved to enter.

“Ferdinand, let me down,” I said. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.” I would really rather he not carry me to my room when I’d just learned the meaning of winter coming before autumn and the significance of asking someone to dye you with their mana.

“Certainly not. We must preserve your stamina at all costs. If we do not drain the rest of your mana tonight, you will need to supply Ahrensbach while unable to use rejuvenation potions. Do you not understand the gravity of your situation? We must put you at the greatest ease.”

Which is exactly why I want you to put me down! Geez! Just how dense can one man be?!