Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 5.11 - Chapter 9

The Blessings’ Influence

I returned to my body to find Ferdinand right in front of me, his face unusually close to mine. He wore the same expression as the last time Mestionora had returned to the realm of the gods.

“You are Rozemyne, correct?” he asked. “How do you feel? The goddess descended, but I am unsure what she did. The divine power that surrounded you remains. Are you truly well? Have you lost anything else that you hold dear?”

Ferdinand was suspicious. He had noticed the divine power of several gods within me, but Mestionora’s descent hadn’t seemed to change anything.

I moved my hands a little. Though my fingertips still tingled and my shoulders felt uncomfortable, I was no longer in agony. “I don’t feel completely better, but the pain is a lot more bearable.”

“Good. I was told you were overcome by the divine power of other gods. As time passes and your mana recovers, their power will increase as well, so expend it as soon as you can.”

“Do I just need to use it?” I asked. That didn’t seem too hard; I’d promised to dye the country’s foundation, and Ahrensbach’s Spring Prayer was right around the corner.

“Yes, but be warned that it will return as your mana does—to a lesser extent each time, at least. According to the goddess... the pain will endure until the gods’ influence has completely faded.”

“Just a moment. How long will that take? I don’t want to spend entire months in agony. Is there anything I can do to speed up the process?”

“It would seem so...” Ferdinand replied, averting his eyes as he helped me to my feet.

“Goodness, Lord Ferdinand...” Eglantine shook her head. “Your phrasing will only concern Lady Rozemyne further. You must reveal everything the goddess told you.”

I stared up at Ferdinand, in full agreement. It wasn’t good to keep secrets from someone so prone to causing trouble. He grimaced in response and eventually conceded.

“Mortal mana stands no chance when one is overwhelmed with divine mana, as you were before Mestionora’s return. But it can regain control when one is drained to the point of being almost completely empty.”

“So we just need you to dye me when I’m nearly out of mana?” I asked, surprised that we had such an easy solution. “That sounds doable—though I will need to spend all of my mana soon.”

Eglantine smiled, though her slightly lowered eyebrows betrayed some concern. “It will mean putting winter before autumn, Lady Rozemyne, but that is nothing compared to your life. You have no choice, and yet...”

“Oh, do you mean summoning winter early in Ahrensbach? Ewigeliebe’s sword would drain almost all of my mana, but it seems a little wasteful, don’t you think?” Not to mention, channeling so much divinely charged mana into the sword when spring was almost over would result in too great a change. It would seem like the seasons had moved in reverse, which was a spooky thought.

“No, Rozemyne,” Ferdinand interjected with a heavy sigh. “That is not what she means.” He shot Eglantine a look as if urging her not to reveal so much, then said, “I will explain the matter to Rozemyne later. Lady Eglantine, have you registered your mana to the Grutrissheit?”

“Yes, I am done.”

Eglantine showed us a bracelet with a rather large feystone. That must have been her magic tool Grutrissheit; it took the form of an ornament so the wielder could make it seem like they were producing it with their schtappe. Zent Albsenti really had produced a technical marvel when she’d created the first iteration for her beloved son; even Ferdinand considered it an impressive achievement. A mother’s love truly was profound.

“That is a single-generation Grutrissheit,” I said. “You are the only one who can use it, Lady Eglantine.”

“I am aware,” she replied, then knelt before Ferdinand and me. “I am more grateful than I can put into words that I—and, by extension, the royal family—have been graced with the Grutrissheit.”

“Myne has returned,” Erwaermen said with a frown, then started waving us away. “Leave, all of you.” An entrance appeared, and he slowly started morphing back into a giant white tree. Given the circumstances—he had striven to save Yurgenschmidt and called upon the gods to provide their aid, only to be brutally attacked—one could say he was a pretty tragic figure.

“Erwaermen,” I said, “I promised Mestionora that I would dye the foundation, and that is what I shall do. You may rest easy.”

I was sure I saw him nod in response before he turned fully into a tree.

“Rozemyne, dyeing the foundation would—”

I shook my head, cutting Ferdinand short. “It must be done; that is why the gods gave me their power. And as it is too much for a mortal to bear, it makes sense that I should use it. Even as we speak, the divine power that the goddess put in order for me is starting to swell.”

It wouldn’t be long before the pain returned in full force. Collapsing in front of the country’s nobles and screaming in agony wouldn’t be wise—not while I was being treated as the avatar of a goddess.

“We have less time than I expected,” Ferdinand said. “Let us finish the ceremony at once. I will arrange for the dyeing of the foundation.” He started collecting what appeared to be ivory branches strewn across the ground.

“What are those?” I asked.

“Branches of the white tree, I would imagine. They appeared after I cut Erwaermen’s hair.”

“Wait, what?! You cut his hair?! No wonder Mestionora deemed you an enemy!” Worse still, he must have done it while she was inhabiting my body. Comparing him to a beast made a lot more sense.

“If you would rather I put them back, I shall, but they are most valuable materials. Would you not like to find out what kinds of fey paper we could make with them?”

“Now that you mention it, one should maximize the value of any resource found scattered across the ground.”

Ferdinand grinned, and the divine power within me began to stir.

I’ll make sure he never returns to the Garden of Beginnings, so please! Overlook him just this once, O gods!

Ferdinand reactivated Verbergen’s charm and went on ahead. I took Eglantine’s hand and followed, moving slowly due to the pain and discomfort that remained.

“It feels like the ceremony is already over...” I said.

“Truly. Too much has happened in this short time,” Eglantine replied quietly as we descended the altar. “I am awestruck that Lord Ferdinand managed it all on his own.”

Eglantine went on to explain everything I’d missed. My disappearance had apparently made her turn white as a sheet, but she had still managed to activate the selection circle using feystones, exactly as Ferdinand predicted. She had climbed the altar and arrived at the Garden of Beginnings, whereupon she had found me in agony. My charms had then been removed, and the goddess had descended—only to immediately start arguing with Ferdinand.

“Ferdinand and the goddess fought?” I asked.

“Indeed. He was displeased with her for what she did to you, and she was displeased with him for what he did to Erwaermen. In short, she cares for Erwaermen as much as Lord Ferdinand cares for you.”

“Erwaermen did save Mestionora’s life, according to the myths, so maybe she sees him as I see Ferdinand—more important than reading books in a library.”

Eglantine gave me a troubled look. “No wonder Lord Ferdinand hesitates to hasten the arrival of winter.”

I cocked my head at her. Something wasn’t adding up. It seemed safe to say that my understanding of the “arrival of winter” wasn’t the correct one.

Guess I’ll just have to ask Ferdinand.

“Lady Eglantine,” I said, “please do not tell anyone what you saw or heard in the Garden of Beginnings. I would rather not order you, but I do not have a choice in the matter.”

“I understand. And worry not—there is nobody with whom I could share this information in the first place. Now, let us finish this ceremony.”

The divine power inside me continued to swell, causing my hands to tremble. Eglantine gave the one she was holding a reassuring squeeze, then donned the bright smile she wore while socializing. I nodded and smiled as well, doing my best to come across as the avatar of a goddess.

As I descended the altar, an intoxicated mutter from Hartmut reached my ear: “The divinity hurts to behold...” Ferdinand must have brought him up to speed.

“May the new Zent form a vow with the Goddess of Light,” our acting High Priest declared. “Lady Rozemyne, might I assist you?” He stood beside me and held a voice amplifier to my mouth in preparation for my response.

I nodded, then turned to Eglantine. “O Zent, blessed by the gods, declare your loyalty to the Goddess of Light, ruler of contracts. Beleuchkrone.”

My schtappe turned into the Goddess of Light’s crown, which I placed atop the head of the now kneeling Eglantine. Getting it to sit right was surprisingly tough; I worried it might go askew or fall off the moment she stood. I really wasn’t cut out for being an attendant, though that news came as no surprise to me.

As soon as I was done, I took a step back, prompting Hartmut to pass the voice-amplifying tool to the new Zent.

“I, Eglantine, hereby swear to the Goddess of Light and the twelve subordinates who serve by her side to correct the distortions that have taken root in Yurgenschmidt, to revive old rituals as the Sovereign temple’s High Bishop, and to keep my promises to Lady Rozemyne, the Divine Avatar of Mestionora.”

The crown let out a truly dazzling flash, eliciting a response from a portion of the divine power within me. Some of the Light subordinates must have contributed to the spectacle.

As I am now, is it really safe to give an omni-elemental blessing?

A wave of unease spread through me, causing my divine mana to rise. My hands shook more violently than before. To really sell the idea that Eglantine had received the true Grutrissheit, I needed to give her an omni-elemental blessing. I couldn’t think of any other way to make the transference seem divine.

I caught Hartmut’s eye as he retrieved the magic tool. There was no time to discuss the matter with him or Eglantine. He must have noticed something then because he blinked at me and recoiled ever so slightly. His gaze wandered in search of the currently invisible Ferdinand.

No! We can’t stop the ceremony now!

“In the Garden of Beginnings, the gods recognized Lady Eglantine as the new Zent,” I declared, forging ahead to keep Hartmut from interfering. “Now that she is oath-bound to the Goddess of Light, I shall bestow the Grutrissheit upon her.”

I cast stylo and immediately started to pray. “O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies...” The sigils of the primary gods began to shine, and my divine power surged with each new word. My temperature rose so suddenly that, by the time the blessing rained down on Eglantine, I almost expected to burst into flames.

“Lady Eglantine, let all witness the Grutrissheit and see that you are the Zent,” I said.

I retreated a step so that Eglantine could take center stage. Hartmut was right behind me, and at once, he asked me whether I was well. I didn’t even have a chance to reply before Ferdinand emerged from the shadows.

“The arrangements for your trip to the foundation have been made,” he said. “You are coming down with a fever; I can see it on your face.”

“The divine power in me responded to the prayer,” I muttered.

“Then the goddess was correct—you must head to the foundation. Everyone else, stay here; we must keep its location a secret. I trust you can buy us enough time, Hartmut.”

Hartmut was lost for words. As expected, considering the preposterous task just thrust upon him. The cheers as Eglantine held aloft the Grutrissheit gave him no chance to protest.

“From here, have King—rather, Lord—Trauerqual deliver the speech we planned to give directly to the aubs,” Ferdinand said. “If not even that gives us enough time, move on to the information we planned to share during the Archduke Conference.”

“Understood...” Hartmut replied at length.

The applause died down while Ferdinand sped through his remaining instructions. Our audience genuinely believed that Eglantine held the true Grutrissheit. My duty as an avatar was almost complete.

So close. Just need to reach the exit without passing out...

“Now, everyone,” Hartmut said, tense from the weight suddenly dropped on his shoulders. “Let us give our prayers to the gods!”

I was about to depart, so a final prayer was unavoidable. Some light escaped my ring and made my fever even worse. I was struck with the urge to put my head in my hands and groan.

Nooo... Why am I like this?!

“Lady Rozemyne and Lady Eglantine shall now depart,” Hartmut announced. “Raise your schtappes high for them!” He then rushed to inform the others of our sudden change of plan for the ceremony.

Anastasius approached the altar to escort Eglantine. He nearly choked in surprise when Ferdinand appeared seemingly out of thin air.

“You proceeded with the blessing despite the stakes?” my escort asked me under his breath. “You truly are a fool.”

“Right back at you,” I said. “The stakes have been high for weeks now. No need to state the obvious.”

Even as we insulted each other, we kept polite smiles plastered across our faces. My legs felt like jelly as we hurried out of the auditorium, and my hands continued to tremble as I clung to Ferdinand’s arm.

No sooner had the door closed behind us than Ferdinand returned to his usual expression. “Let us act quickly. There is only so much time Hartmut and the others can buy us.” He glared in my direction, his eyes focused on the divine power swirling around me. “Are you well, Rozemyne?”

“Not really. Call it improper or image-shattering or what have you, but I want nothing more than to flop down onto the floor.” I was queasy to the point of wanting to throw up... but what I really wanted to vomit out was all the divine power inside me.

“Over here, Lady Rozemyne,” Gretia and Clarissa said. They had been waiting outside the auditorium and immediately covered me with a silver cloak. I could guess from the sudden looks of relief on everyone’s faces that the divine power radiating from me was especially intense.

“Gretia, Clarissa...” I said. “Why are you here?”

“Partway through the ceremony, Lord Ferdinand instructed us to prepare some silver cloth and wait here for you,” Clarissa explained while adjusting the neck of the cloak.

Gretia, who was pulling the hood over my head, looked at her fellow retainer with thorough exasperation. “Yet you still found it necessary to return to the auditorium and watch Lady Rozemyne’s performance.”

“Do forgive me, but I made it back here before Lady Rozemyne arrived.”

For all their bantering, they both looked openly concerned.

“Eckhart, Matthias, and Laurenz shall accompany us as guard knights,” Ferdinand noted. “Those who cannot approach Rozemyne in her current state must stay behind, no matter their role. This matter concerns national secrets, so only those who have given their names to Lady Rozemyne, Lady Eglantine, or me are permitted to come with us.” It was an ultimatum meant to silence Eglantine’s retainers—they could either give their names or wait patiently.

From there, Ferdinand rounded on Anastasius. “Of course, this applies to you as well.”

“Excuse me?!”

“You are neither the Zent nor bound to her. Our destination is no place for you.”

Anastasius must not have appreciated being told to wait with my blue-robed retainers; his outrage was beyond the point of no return. Ferdinand paid him no mind as he pulled me up into a sideways carry. Not having to stand did wonders for my fever.

“In that case, Ferdinand, the same should—”

“Anastasius,” Eglantine said, patting his arm in warning, “I am sure you can guess where we are headed. And can you not see that Lady Rozemyne is especially unwell? We do not have time to speak right now. Consider what will happen if the worst befalls her.”

Anastasius looked between Ferdinand and me. He was still vexed, but he seemed to understand. “You need me to help buy time, correct?”

Ferdinand shook his head. “As soon as we are done, Lady Eglantine, acting as the new Zent, must collect the criminal imprisoned in one of the country gates. You and the knights staying behind should prepare for this mission.”

Anastasius and the knights nodded, then turned on their heels and got straight to work. Only the name-sworn remained.

Eglantine looked around, then up at Ferdinand. “Let us hurry. I can sense Lady Rozemyne’s divine power getting stronger.”

“Rozemyne, can you order those who accompany us not to speak of the events to come?”

“Do not... inform others... of the events to come,” I ordered.

Ferdinand nodded and strode forward. I swayed in his arm, causing the heat in my body to rampage. I clung to him, hoping it would steady me somewhat, but it stopped working entirely when he picked up the pace.

Eglantine was almost left behind on our march to the library. Ferdinand was moving too fast for her to keep up.

“Professor Solange, the situation is as I described in my ordonnanz,” he said upon our arrival. “Please wait in your office. I must ask that you let nobody else in the library until we are done.”

“But of course. I know how to face the arrival of spring. The rest is up to you.” She moved aside to let us pass. “Lady Eglantine, I celebrate the birth of a new Zent from the bottom of my heart. May your reign be long and prosperous.”

“I shall depend upon your guidance, Professor Solange.”

One could hardly dismiss the library after learning how deeply it was connected to the rise of new Zents. Eglantine promised to speak with Solange again soon, then followed after Ferdinand and me.

“Roderick, contact Hartmut and permit him to end the ceremony. Justus, Eckhart, stay on guard for anyone approaching the library. All other knights, face away and protect this area.”

“Understood!”

After directing the knights who had accompanied us, Ferdinand instructed Gretia and Clarissa to remove my silver cloak and take the key hanging from my neck.

“If you will excuse me, Lady Rozemyne...” Gretia said.

I could only nod in response as my retainer pulled down my hood and retrieved the key. With some help from Clarissa, she soon managed to remove it from its chain.

“Pass the key to Lady Eglantine and turn your backs as well,” Ferdinand said. He waited for them to finish, then gave the new Zent a brief summary of how to use the key. She opened the cover of the statue’s Grutrissheit and revealed the stairway to the foundation.

“Goodness...” Eglantine said, her eyes wide.

Ferdinand sent her ahead, then carried me downstairs. We passed through the iridescent barrier to reach Yurgenschmidt’s foundation.

At last, Ferdinand set me down. I clapped my hands on the foundation and wasted no time channeling my mana into it. The divine power flowed out as well, causing my breathing to get easier, the pain racking my body to fade, and the heat rampaging through me to cool.

Aaah! Back from the brink of death!

“The key to the Sovereign temple’s bible also unlocks Yurgenschmidt’s foundation,” Ferdinand explained to Eglantine. “In the same sense, the keys in the possession of the duchies’ High Bishops open the paths to their respective foundations. It dates back to when Zents and aubs served as High Bishops and should make it clear to you why the royal family and archducal families must return to serving their temples. You may read your Grutrissheit if you wish to know more.”

He continued, “As per Erwaermen’s and Mestionora’s wishes, we shall first dye the foundation with Rozemyne’s mana. That should satisfy the gods, who so strongly wish to resolve the mana shortage and prevent the country’s destruction. History has proven that once the foundation is filled, dyeing it will prove simple. I know not whether the presence of divine power will complicate the matter, but we are only in this situation because of the royal family’s ignorance. Lord Anastasius and you have no choice but to press on.”

“So it shall be done.”

Because this was the only time they had to speak, Ferdinand explained everything that would need to be done for Yurgenschmidt’s future. Eglantine desperately tried to memorize it all.

“Redraw the borders and establish the new duchies before the Archduke Conference,” he said. “Otherwise, Lords Trauerqual and Sigiswald will not be able to become aubs. Consider that your most urgent duty. If you can first retrieve the divine instruments from the former duchies, it will spare you the burden of needing to create the instruments anew.”

I’m glad to have all that divine power out of my system, but...

Back when I’d dyed Ahrensbach’s foundation, I’d needed to swig a rejuvenation potion halfway through. Yurgenschmidt’s foundation was so much larger... so why wasn’t I even close to running out of mana?

“Um, Ferdinand, we have a problem...” I said. “I’m pouring as much of my mana into the foundation as I can, but it doesn’t seem to be going down. Is this going to be enough to drain me? If not, what should we do next?”

I noted that it felt like a more extreme version of when I’d performed the divine protections ritual and lost control of my mana, which made Ferdinand fall into thought. “Not even filling the country’s foundation is enough?” he mused. “Hmm... You sound much better than before. How fares your health?”

“Fine, actually. I was able to channel out the divine power, which lowered my fever. I just worry about what might happen if we can’t find another outlet for my mana.”

“I see. In that case, I would advise you to join Lady Eglantine when she redraws the borders. You cannot be involved in the creation of the new duchies’ foundations and temples, as Lady Eglantine needs to discuss those matters with the aubs and reinforce her authority as the Zent, but the new borders are more or less set in stone. It should all go smoothly enough.”

Eglantine nodded. “I would very much appreciate your assistance. That said, there has been a slight amendment to what we agreed upon. After reviewing the situation with Aub Drewanchel and Lady Adolphine, we have decided that a portion of the land we set aside for Lord Sigiswald will instead be given to Drewanchel.”

Sigiswald and Adolphine’s divorce had now been formally arranged, as the promises tied to their marriage had not been kept. As a penalty for this breach of contract, Sigiswald was being made to forfeit part of his future duchy—land that was currently in the Sovereignty—to Drewanchel.

“Which portion?” Ferdinand asked.

“From north Lindenthal to Drewanchel,” Eglantine replied, indicating an area that was roughly the size of a lesser duchy. Drewanchel would receive an impressive expansion while Sigiswald’s land would shrink dramatically.

Ferdinand adjusted his map accordingly.

I paused to consider. “I suppose this means Lord Sigiswald will become the aub of a middle duchy.”

“Though the duchy will rank highly at first—having its first aub come from the royal family will do much for its reputation—it is far from Lady Nahelache’s home duchy of Hauchletzte and unlikely to receive much support. From next year onward, things are likely to become rather stressful for them.”

I shrugged. “Lord Trauerqual might have Dunkelfelger’s support through Lady Magdalena, but he is bound to have a much harder time ruling his portion of Werkestock and its many traitorous nobles. Lord Sigiswald is receiving land from the Sovereignty and should count his blessings as a result.” The mana everyone had provided during the Royal Academy’s Dedication Rituals had gone toward the Sovereignty and the land it managed, so I sincerely doubted Sigiswald would encounter any serious problems. He needed only to do his job as an aub.

“It would seem that Lady Adolphine intends to serve as a giebe upon returning to Drewanchel. She took great inspiration from you, Lady Rozemyne, and plans to turn her province into a ‘research city.’”

Adolphine’s failed marriage into royalty meant she would struggle to find another partner outside her duchy. Thus, following her divorce, she planned to return to Drewanchel and become a giebe. Her duchy had the largest archducal family in the country and would soon be awash with returning Sovereign nobles, and she planned to marry someone from among them. I’d worried about her future, so it was good to hear she was moving forward.

“Rozemyne, if you have finished filling the foundation, redraw the borders,” Ferdinand said. “The process is the same as when aubs redraw the borders for their giebes. Reference my map as you work. Oh, and Lady Eglantine—I do not mean to impose, but please grade her performance.”

“Grade her...?” she repeated.

“You are the professor of the archduke candidate course, are you not? I was told that Rozemyne disappeared partway through winter and did not finish her Royal Academy lessons. I ask that you grade her redrawing of the borders and destruction of the medals in Ahrensbach. I would also appreciate you speaking to her whirling teacher and arranging for Rozemyne’s performance today to be graded.”

“You are demanding too much,” I protested, speaking for my own sake as well as Eglantine’s. “An impromptu exam now, of all times, is much too cruel. And does Lady Eglantine not deserve some time to prepare?”

Ferdinand scoffed, a stern glint in his eyes. “You should easily be able to pass if you remember everything I went out of my way to teach you. Do not tell me you forgot it all.”

“N-No, I remember everything!”

Probably!

“Then I do not see the issue. In the first place, whom will you inconvenience most by delaying things?”

Trying not to think about the cold eyes bearing down on me, I took a moment to consider my answer. “You, Ferdinand. Then our retainers.”

“Correct. I shall schedule your remaining exams and negotiate with your professors during the Archduke Conference. You need only to pass all of your classes at once. For now, however, focus on redrawing the borders.”

I formed my schtappe and did my best to help Eglantine. Though my usual sandbox had been replaced with the country’s foundation, as a divine avatar with divine power, I successfully redrew the duchy borders and passed with flying colors.