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Chapter Text

Prologue (Rozemyne)

"You must be happy first."

I may have discovered a great writer.

This is an encouragement from my mother as an aristocrat, the writer who has contributed the most to the printing industry in Ehrenfest. I instinctively held my cheek. Of course, I didn't want to prevent her from scratching me.

I am here now because I was able to make this room with my mother a year ago. When I think back to that time, when I was trying so hard, and now that I'm about to leave the nest, I feel saved, and my cheeks are hot. My mouth moves in a different way from before, and I can't find the words to respond.

Elvira watches over me with her usual smile.

"...Mother?"

Yes, it was her usual smile.
Though she exudes generosity and affection, her eyes are strangely shining and her hands are moving busily, as if she is about to take out her writing tablet.

A writer who is so determined that he is willing to fabricate the thoughts of real people and the words of a real engagement magic stone...

"Oh, how can I convey this innocent, cheerful face that makes me want to be an Efflorelume?"

Artist.
Speaking of the artist of Elvira, otherwise known as the writer Elantura, the illustration of the young man with a face that looks familiar and a slightly changed hairstyle is stunning...

"Do I have to be an illustration, too?" I know that writing the story can't be stopped, but illustrations were a blind spot.

...Eh?

That sparkling high priest who was certainly well-received, but who I thought would never make a face like that in person, is back again... and this time I'm with him...?

"Oh, of course. So now we can finally write about Ferdinand... and with you as well... oh, I wonder how many illustrations we can include."

Elvira nodded in ecstasy, her illustrator skills are well-known. Perhaps because she has been involved in the unconventional publishing of two illustrations per story from the beginning, her illustrations may be better suited to printing than Wilma's. I protested, but Elvira just laughed happily. She was clearly looking ahead to the future when the story of Ferdinand and I would be printed.

I felt like I could see the story that should still only exist in Elvira's head being placed in front of me as a thick book. In the first place, it was me who told her that "this story is fiction (omitted)." Of course, it was to increase the safety of Mother, who would be writing the Fernestine story.

Still, I was thinking that it would be a good thing if the number of books increased for such a reason, but then I saw Ferdinand with a sullen look on his face on the opposite side of the book and shook my head.

I'll try to stay calm.
…Is there any way to get her to back off?

If she's willing to take advantage of the change in territory and sell off the book in a year, why not let her devote her passion and resources to a book that sells more steadily?

It might be a good idea. If it's a new approach that can interest Mother, a topic that would be better to start on sooner than my story, a story that can be expected to sell to a certain extent, and a story that will benefit Ehrenfest in the long term...

"That's it! Mother, why don't you write a story about changing the impression of Gabriele's portrait?"

"You mean the portrait of Leisegang?"

"That's right! You see, Leonore said earlier that she would tell her parents to remove the portrait, right? Like Leonore, the younger generation remembers Gabriele's face from the portrait, so it will take a long time for no one to know her face."

Mother gets ready to listen. I clench my fists in my heart and try to persuade her. Watch me, Benno! "Rather than waiting for the gradual change of generations as they age, I'll overwrite it with a story and illustrations. Gabriele is a spoiled princess who was forced to marry from another territory, so I'll write about a woman who came willingly to marry like Aurelia, who fought for Ehrenfest in the defense of Ehrenfest, and draw her with a face like Gabriele's."

In this comparison, as far as I know, Aurelia is the only choice.
I hope that Aurelia's life will be a little easier if possible. Elvira also has a face that imagines the same thing, so I add more words.

Aurelia has found people who understand her in Lamprecht and Elvira, and Siegrecht looks like Lamprecht. But there's no guarantee that the child born between Aurelia and Lamprecht in the future will look like Aurelia, which means indirectly like Gabriele.

I think it's faster to overwrite it than to wait for the generation that has seen the portrait to be completely replaced. Elvira seems to have the same concern, nodding repeatedly. "That's right. If I can change the impression of that face as soon as possible with illustrations... I might have a granddaughter, so I should write Aurelia."

That's right. As I nodded, Elvira's gaze sharpened. It was the face of the mistress of the Linkberg family. Although Mother herself had no knightly qualities, she was the first wife of the commander of the knights and raised children, protecting the family.

"For now, is it okay to just aim to overwrite Gabriele's portrait?"
"That's right. I don't think there are any other cases where we need to manipulate impressions using pictures. But if this is successful, it will add another achievement to the printing business, right? I'm sure we'll be asked to do similar things."

I'm worried about the child that will be born someday, but the most urgent priority is Aurelia, who will live with her family in Ehrenfest. After all, one can't choose one's face, and even if they look alike on the outside, it doesn't necessarily mean they're alike on the inside.

...But there is a grandmother and granddaughter who look just like her and who also had a lot of problems with their relationship.

I can't help but think of her disappearing from the public eye after her Schtappe was confiscated. Well, I was the one who destroyed the medal to confiscate it...
Gabriele's lineage is not extinct. Aurelia, who looks just like him, escaped any blame and lives as an aristocrat in Ehrenfest, and there are many descendants of Veronica in Ehrenfest. For example, Charlotte doesn't look like Gabriele or Veronica at all, but there's no guarantee that her children won't have faces that look like Gabriele or Veronica. The same goes for Constanze of Frenbeltag.

Come to think of it, Letizia's features seem to be more like Drevanchel’s father's. In Ahrensbach Castle, it was whispered that it was fortunate that she didn't look like the middle member of the old Ahrensbach lords' family. Hearing this, I was a little worried about Benedicta, who I had not even met yet. Her life is guaranteed, so I won't interfere, but...

"Maybe it would be better to publish the story as a short story right away? I would like to avoid competing with your story for the printing press if possible..."
I tilted my head at the suggestion. I want to read it as soon as possible, but if I think about it, this is a new genre that is a little different from knight tales and love stories, like the Ditter tales. I would like to read more if possible.

"No, this is an 'anthology', mother! Like the Noble Academy love stories, how about writing about the battles of other women in the defense of Ehrenfest and compiling them into one volume?"
"Then wouldn't it be a collection of knight tales?"

"No, it's a collection of stories about fighting women. It wasn't just female knights who fought."
Of course I wanted stories about female knights who fought in armour, but there is more to fighting than that. I realized this painfully when I jumped into the rescue of Ferdinand in preparation for Georgine's invasion.

And it's not just the knights. The civil servants and attendants who prepared and supported the army are also great contributors. There was my foster mother who was involved in the defense despite having a young daughter, Charlotte who supported my foster father as a candidate for lord despite being underage, and Brunhilde who was deeply involved in rear support despite still being the lord's fiancée.

Of course, the main characters are not only those who took up arms or were near the battlefield.

I think that the women who prepared for the outbreak of war or who were left behind to watch over the battlefield while seeing their husbands and children off to battle could also be the main characters of a story.

"Let's take this opportunity to show both inside and outside how Ehrenfest fought, and use it to improve the impression."

I feel like I made a pretty good presentation considering it was impromptu.

Benno in my head is saying "Don't let your guard down" and Ferdinand is sighing, but there's no reason for me to stop in front of the new book. Elvira nodded deeply and put her fingertips to her mouth.

"We'll need to get the lord's family's approval, but I think it's a great idea. Aurelia is definitely the one. She's a female knight who breaks away from her troubled family, takes the hand of her beloved husband, takes up her sword for peace with her husband and child, and rejoices in her victory with her husband..."

"I'm sure the story of Lamprecht and Aurelia has already been published in The Nobles' Love Story, right? If we make it clear that it's connected to the previous work when it's released, that might sell too."

"Well, that's a typical Rozemyne idea. But if we label it a sequel and add illustrations that look like Gabriele, she might not like it. I'll have to think it through carefully. Oh, by the way, I heard from Bonifatius that Brigitte also fought as a knight in Illgner, so maybe we should mix their stories together and make her the daughter of a local lord instead of the niece of a lord, and change her circumstances to living in the country instead of the capital city?"

"I'd like to read about Brigitte's exploits too, please write about her! "

"Of course. Brigitte has her own story, so it's fine to connect it... but what if she and her fellow knights, whom she once loved, secretly pray for the protection of Griefechan, even though they are on different battlefields and are entrusted with different people? Even if she has a child, it's before her baptism, so it's safer to keep that a secret.

Also, if it doesn't have to be all a love story, I'd like to include Lady Hannelore, who came to help us. Lady Hannelore doesn't have a fiance, does she? Can you confirm with Lady Hannelore that the main theme is your friendship?"

"I haven't heard anything about an engagement from Lady Hannelore. I think Lady Hannelore would be happy if she appeared in the story of Elantura..."

If anything, it seems like Dunkelfelger will be annoyed that she will appear in a story of friendship and battle rather than a love story. Oh, Roderich's new work was prepared with Aub Dunkelfelger's Zent in mind. I know she won't have time for that with the move and work in Alexandria, but I want to read it soon.

I wouldn't mind if it was for Elvira's new work, but I decided to impose a condition.

"Well, I'm not going to slack off on the story of you and Lord Ferdinand."

"Well... I suggested this idea, so please go easy on me a little. My condition is that you also write a story about the wife of the Grand Master of the Knights who sent her husband and all his sons off."

"Well, if that's okay with you, I'd be happy." Elvira looks very happy as she laughs.

"It's the first book I've written that isn't just a love story, but... I'll do my best to make it a book appropriate for the era in which Zend is a woman and the first underage female Lord is born. But won't the men get upset if I only write about the women's exploits? What do you think, Rozemyne?"

"You mean you want to write about the cool things about my father?"

"Well, I have to write about my daughter's exploits first, and then about my and the other women's exploits. Even if Lord Karstedt wants to, when will I have the time...?"

...Does that mean that if she has the time, she'll have material to write about my father?
Remembering our earlier conversation about "not having romantic feelings yet," I leaned forward. That time may actually be approaching.

But right now Elvira looks very happy and fulfilled.
And there was no hint of deceit in those words. As the family of the Commander of the Knights, we were to live peacefully together as a cooperative couple, but would the value of the relationship rise or fall based on the presence or absence of romantic feelings? Who would judge its value in the first place? Isn't it fine if the two of them are happy?

I was somehow happy with that realization, and we continued to happily plan the new book.

In the end, Elvira's passion and the number of books doubled, and Elvira's plan for the love story between me and Ferdinand didn't change at all, did it?
By the time I realized this, the time to say goodbye was approaching.

It's a memory of my mother, so it's fine, I decided to quietly put aside the fact that we had ended up in a draw in the negotiations. In the end, I couldn't resist the temptation of more new books.

Chapter Text

Challenge (Aurelia)

"Mr.--! You, who hold the land of a large territory, should have been in a position to protect the territory as a candidate for lord in a different time! Why do you get in our way now, when we are about to clear the name of the executed lady and take this country into our hands?"
Without answering the accusation of the man wearing silver cloth, she pulled out the long sword from her waist.

The long sword, which sparkled silver in the late spring sunshine, was arranged by her mother-in-law for all her children, who were knights, to counter the silver cloth, which Schtappe's weapons were not effective against. Even if it was for a young grandson or a daughter too young to hold a sword, it was certainly a weapon given to her to resist invasion.

"Are you in the way?" She glared at the intruder with her vivid green eyes.

She had never liked her own appearance.
Ever since she was old enough to understand, her father and even her sister had described her as unattractive. Even before they had even spoken a word, others had unfounded malice directed at her, saying she seemed to have a bad personality.

The lord candidate she served, who was forced to become a knight, called her selfish and foolish, and said he didn't like the look in her eyes.
At a tea party under the pretext of celebrating her marriage, she was confronted with the fact that she was the spitting image of the woman who had forcefully married into this land and brought disaster upon it.

"I have broken away from my family and hometown. I have no intention of living as my father's pawn. As a noble of this land, I will not join forces with a foreign nation and take part in plots by other territories to overthrow my country!"

The intruder looked clearly confused as she readied her steel sword.
--Did he think I was loyal to the territory? Or have they misled her into thinking I was an ally...?

The answer remains unclear, but whatever the intruder's background, to her he was nothing less than an enemy who must be eliminated from this place.

"Why?! You, who are forbidden to remove your veil or socialize because you resemble the princess, have chosen to side with this land instead of your hometown? Why have you, who were the guardian knight of the lord's family, been taken into a territory in this countryside?"

"Well, isn't it too early for Schlaftraum to come? Please don't make fun of my family."
Her husband didn't shy away from her appearance, which is easily misunderstood, and accepted her as a person, including her inner self.

Her mother-in-law, who didn't force her to show her real face, and who showed sincerity after she showed it to her, saying that no matter how similar she was, she was a different person, has sent her husband and children to the battlefield and is working hard to protect this family. Her sister-in-law, who was tasked with persuading her to remove her veil but gently refused, encouraged her to choose the fabric for the veil, and suggested that she should choose a pattern she liked to hide her face, is also fighting in a faraway land despite her frail body.

"I will live as a woman of this land."
I will protect my mother-in-law and her child, and protect this house where my husband returns. With this determination, she raised the corner of her mouth at the intruder.

The open view without the veil is now reassuring. The iron sword shines in the field of vision that was common in the aristocratic academy.
The heavy weapon that was difficult to load into the barrel once worn felt light like a Schtappe weapon at this moment.

...I was destined to become a knight for this.

◇

"Umm, mother-in-law..." Aurelia looked up from the stack of papers with confusion in her deep green eyes.

Elvira, who was sitting opposite, received her gaze and put down the cup she had been elegantly tilting. "I wonder? If it's too hard to read, you can stop."

"What...? As a knight, I can really sympathize with this story, but I can't help but feel that I recognize the circumstances of the female knight in this story. Is it perhaps about me?"
"Oh, the story of Ehrenfest is entirely fictional, and has no connection to any real people or groups."
"Indeed, the draft I read the other day had that preface, but... will that be enough to convince everyone?"

"Most people probably accept it as fact," Aurelia said, tilting her head. The other day, she was asked to give her opinion on a similar story, which Elvira had poured extraordinary passion into writing, and Muriella, who was supporting her, seemed to be having more fun than usual.

"Yes, that's right."
"That was clearly a story about Lady Rozemyne..."

"Oh, that's not a true story either, it's fiction. It's all about a country and a person who's very similar to Yurgenschmidt. There's a similar disclaimer in the other books, right?"
Elvira declared with a grin, and Aurelia's eyes wandered. Indeed, the tale of the knights from her hometown that she had once told Rozemyne at her request was also published in the Ehrenfest paper.

She remembered that the book she received later had the same preface.
However, she couldn't imagine that the same preface would have the same meaning in the old story she told and in the manuscript she had been shown the other day, which was a love story about how her sister-in-law became the lord of a neighboring territory.

As Elvira said, this draft doesn't say "Yurgenschmidt," "Ahrensbach," or "Ehrenfest." It just has place names that sound somewhat similar. The characters are all named the same, and are somewhat similar in appearance and colouring.

However, her story is an old tale that Ahrensbach's attendants know because they babysit, and it's unclear whether the people it is based on actually existed. It will be treated differently from the case of her sister-in-law. It's hard to imagine that something like that has happened twice in the long history of Yurgenschmidt.

Can a story based on a major incident that only recently occurred and the people involved be passed off as fiction?

If Rozemyne and her civil servant mother-in-law judge it that way, then there's no problem...
It's hard for Aurelia to judge, as she missed the opportunity to learn as a civil servant, serves a lord candidate who doesn't like reading, and is not currently involved in the printing industry in her husband's home.

And so the new draft in Aurelia's hands now is also based on the incident that occurred the other day.
The protagonist's name is left blank. But her circumstances are just like Aurelia's. As Elvira claims, will readers think of themselves as separate from the protagonist of this story?

Rozemyne saved not only Ehrenfest but also Yurgenschmidt, so it's one thing, but Aurelia is still looked upon harshly as someone with ties to Ahrensbach. From this perspective, Aurelia can't help but think about the impact this story will have, but her mother-in-law seems to be quite certain. Aurelia hesitated for a while, but with the trust she had in her mother-in-law since marrying, she once again looked down at the draft. As soon as the tea party with Elvira began, she was given the draft, wanting to hear her opinion, but she never imagined it would be something like this.

The story is set in a middle territory that is under attack by a large territory that has joined forces with a foreign country, and the protagonist is a female knight who marries into the middle territory to escape from her tyrannical father and her oppressive hometown. The draft only shows her donning armour to fight off the enemy, having retired once due to her marriage.

She recognised the silver cloth worn by the invaders and the iron weapons used to fight back.
When Aurelia decided to defend the mansion as a knight, she received the silver cloth, information about the instant-death poison and iron weapons from her father-in-law and mother-in-law.

At the same time, there were some points that were deliberately made to differ from reality. The protagonist in the story has an older sister, not a younger sister, in her hometown, and there were some slight differences from the facts in the position of the family she married into, the composition of her husband's siblings, and the relationships between the territories.

However, her circumstances, including her appearance and career, are almost entirely her own. There are also unpleasant memories related to her appearance, but she doesn't remember telling any of them to Elvira. But they overlap so much with her that it makes you wonder if she was telling them despite not remembering them.

And she was very confused by the fact that this draft, like a chivalrous tale, dramatizes the battle scenes spectacularly, and focuses on the female knight confronting and fighting the intruder.

It's true that in the recent battle between Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest, the capital and castle of Ehrenfest were the battlefields. But there were no intruders at this mansion. Sensing the presence of battle in the noble quarter, Aurelia armed herself and resolved to defend the mansion. She kept watch for a while, but the battle ended outside the mansion, and the guard was lifted within a day. But on paper, the protagonist is engaged in a fierce verbal and sword fight with the intruder at the mansion.

I can sympathize with the protagonist's determination to protect her stepmother and young biological child even if it means rising to a higher position, and the grit of her teeth at the disadvantage of being away from the front lines. It's certainly something I felt that day.

But, to repeat, Aurelia didn't actually fight.
Thinking of her sister-in-law, she prayed to Angriff and Steifebriese for protection, hoping to turn the situation around, and did not neutralize the invader with a single blow like Fairdrenna.

"Mother-in-law, I think this is a wonderful story, and I understand that this female knight is not me, even if she resembles me. However, in reality, I did not perform such feats, so even if you say it is an exaggerated story... No, in the first place, I do not deserve to be the subject of a story..."

"Well, just the fact that a retired female knight puts on armour and tries to protect her home in the face of an invasion of her hometown, a great territory, is enough to make it a wonderful story. This book is about women who fought against the invasion in their own ways, doing their best.” Mother-in-law said with a smile.

"...You mean a knight tale with a female protagonist?"
"...No, it's not limited to knights. It wouldn't be classified as a love story either. It's emphasized that it's a fictional story, so it's not a history book either. I'm having trouble classifying it, but it's definitely a story about the women who fought to defend Ehrenfest."

"Is that so..."

Actually, it's not a big deal to classify it as a story, but it's awkward to see a character who is so similar to me, but who is dozens of times more powerful than I am. The fact that it was given to me by my mother-in-law, who is a civil servant and writer and leads the printing industry in Ehrenfest, only deepens my confusion.

"This story...no, the book in which this story is included was suggested by Rozemyne."
"Lady Rozemyne's?"

That in itself is not all that strange to Aurelia. Her sister-in-law is such a book lover that she asked about the books in the library of Ahrensbach Castle, a place she would never enter. While she devotes her efforts to collecting stories passed down in various regions, she is also constantly searching for writers who can create new stories.

It is said that it was Rozemyne who encouraged Elvira, who was upset after Ferdinand married into her family, to focus her feelings on writing to distract her. Aurelia, who was worried about her mother-in-law's sulkiness, was also helped by that suggestion, but when she heard that the resulting story was a love story between a woman who lives strong in adversity and a prince, she had a hard time understanding it. Aside from the method of changing the gender, the courage of those involved in hiding multiple criticisms of Ahrensbach and the royal decree in the story to manipulate public opinion, and the process of printing the book in a short period of time and bringing it to the Noble Academy in the winter, made me feel that Ehrenfest has made a leap forward.

The other day, when my sister-in-law stopped by this mansion to depart for the territory she had acquired, she had grown to be almost an adult, a complete change from the height she had been when she had just entered the Noble Academy.
Apart from her involvement with books, she was originally mature and intelligent despite her appearance. Having experienced battle and resolved to become a lord herself, she seemed to be acquiring the composure of a leader.

Aurelia met her sister-in-law, who was about to become the first underage lord in history, and heard about the fate of her hometown, her family, and her half-sister. She was prepared for her own implicature, and for that of not only her young son but also her husband.

However, her sister-in-law denied any involvement and, as her mother-in-law had hoped, accepted her son's position as a relative who could support him, along with her brother-in-law and his fiancée. Aurelia was amazed at the lord candidate she once served, something she would never be able to achieve in her lifetime.

But even seeing her grown up, Rozemyne in her imagination still remained a child who could barely reach Elvira's heart, asking her to buy more books.
In her imagination, Rozemyne was talking to herself with Aurelia in the Starknot waiting room, looking up at the frame with the cloth hanging from the dyeing competition, and begging Aurelia to tell her a story.

She looked up at Elvira with her big golden eyes sparkling. It was a scene she could vividly imagine, as if she had seen it with her own eyes.
She couldn't help but smile wryly, as she couldn't help but nod, thinking that if it was something that easy to understand and made her happy, she could just tell her a story.

Aurelia concluded that this book was probably one of the connections between mother and daughter, who were separated immediately after their baptism as adopted children, and who were sent to different territories before coming of age.

Rozemyne loved books and created the paper and printing industries, but Elvira said that while she had the talent to start a business, she lacked the aptitude for writing stories.

And as if to make up for that, Elvira is an excellent civil servant who is also skilled at writing stories.

It was as if the mother and daughter were brought together here by the goddess of wind and her attendants to protect the incarnation of the young Mestionora. To Aurelia, who lost her own mother at a young age, the mother and daughter working together to grow their business seemed dazzling.

This new book was probably one more way for Elvira to deliver a new story to her daughter, while also supporting her as an underage female lord, she concluded.

"When you say Lady Rozemyne's request, do you mean that Ehrenfest is trying to fend off Ahrensbach's invasion and claim that it can support Lady Rozemyne?"
"That is true, but it seems that Lady Rozemyne is also concerned about the portrait of Leisegang. Even if Leonore works to have the portrait removed, it will take a long time for the generation that remembers Lord Gabriele's portrait to disappear."

"Lady Gabriele's portrait, you say?"
Aurelia tilted her head at the unexpected mention of her great-grandmother's name. She had heard many times about the feud between her great-grandmother's daughter Veronica and her mother-in-law, but Gabriele died and Veronica left the limelight. Now that Ahrensbach has been destroyed, it seems unlikely that she, who is already a thing of the past, will have any bearing on Lady Rozemyne's future reign.

"Aurelia, think about it. It takes time to reproduce a portrait, and it's inconvenient to carry around. But printed illustrations can be reproduced quickly. By making it into a book, it's possible to appeal to people by combining the story and the illustrations. Ehrenfest's books are light and easy to carry, and they're cheap, so they're easy to lend and borrow."
"...Is that so?"

"Rather than simply waiting for the generation that knows the portrait to pass away, Rozemyne is thinking about how to overwrite the impression with the power of printed stories and illustrations...That's why this draft can clearly be read as your story."
Aurelia took a deep breath. In the draft, the female knight fights without her veil. That's what she really is. In other words, Elvira's suggestion means that this story should be accompanied by illustrations of a female knight who resembles Aurelia.

Aurelia, who was ordered to become a knight, lived a life far from the veil during her apprenticeship, and even back then, her appearance often caused her problems.
After she got married, her situation at home improved, but she still couldn't imagine removing her veil outside.
The other day, Leonore, Aurelia's future sister-in-law, was clearly shaken by the sight of her face when she removed her veil. She grew up often looking at Gabriele's portrait in the family's main house. It's frightening to think how many nobles have come to associate their great-aunt with her because of that one portrait.

"So you're saying that my face will be used as an illustration..."
"Yes. If you don't like it, I swear to Geboltnoon that I won't publish this draft. I think it's a profitable proposal, and if we can publish it as a book that sheds light on all the women who fought to protect the territory, it will be a boost for a new era in which Zent, the woman who was given the Glutlisheith once again, and the incarnation of the goddess who played that role, will be crowned."

"...Lady Charlotte is the next lord, isn't she?"
"Yes, that's why I want to choose women to be the subject of my work. I have no intention of neglecting you. Well... I am the wife of a knight, so I may have gotten a little carried away."

"It's not that I'm dissatisfied with the way you've been doing things, mother-in-law..."
"Thank you. And... there's no guarantee that a child similar to Gabriele's will be born in the future. You may have a daughter, or she may be born to the lord's family of Ehrenfest or to the lineage of the person you married into."

Aurelia heard her throat make an unpleasant noise.
If she went along with Elvira's suggestion, even if Aurelia didn't remove her veil, anyone who picked up the book and saw the illustrations would know her features and realize that she was a branch of the old Ahrensbach family.

Up until now, with Elvira's help, she had avoided contact with her hometown, and had been protected from the investigations that accompanied the purge by concealing the fact that she had given birth. Although she cannot give up the veil she made out of her favorite fabric at her sister-in-law's suggestion, she goes out and slowly builds relationships with Elvira's friends.
The thought of all this coming to an end, and life becoming even harder than it was back home, crosses her mind. Just that thought is heartbreaking. But when she hears that there is a possibility that she, or other members of her lineage, could have daughters who suffer the same fate, another layer of pressure and a sense of her own powerlessness weighs down on her. .

Aurelia instinctively put her hand to her face. She wanted to examine the veil made of her favorite fabric and embroidered material.
But her fingertips cut through the air.
She removes her veil when she is at home so that Siegrecht can recognize her mother's face. Perhaps because of the shock, she even forgets the habits she had become accustomed to over the past year. She bites her dry lip, searching for a response.

Elvira takes a quiet breath. "...Then let's pretend this never happened. I want to write about your exploits, but I don't want to make you suffer. I ended up making the main character too close to the real you. I could have mixed it with other people's stories, set it in the Count's territory instead of the noble district, and not made it clear that she married from another territory, and made it a story about a woman who has a hard time living there because she resembles a notorious relative."
Elvira muttered anxiously and reached for the draft on the desk. Aurelia instinctively reached for hers as well. Not understanding what was going on, she stopped her mother-in-law's hand.

"Wait a moment."
"Aurelia?"
"I don't mind, it's just that I have too many things to think about..."

She took her mother-in-law's hand as if she was holding it, but Elvira didn't seem to want to let go. She continued to explain what she was thinking. She agreed with both Rozemyne's suggestion and Elvira's thoughts. If the story and illustrations could prevent this fate from being passed on to future generations, she would like to help.

"So, what do you think of the contents of this draft? Is there anything you'd like to change?"
"I believe that my mother-in-law's tales are always protected by Quintziel, but they are so far removed from what I have done that I would be embarrassed if they were thought of as the subject matter. If it's not a knight's tale, can't you tone down the fighting scenes?"
"I did say that it's not a knight's tale in terms of classification, but..."

Elvira seemed to think deeply.
"Are there any other female knights who were active in the capital?"
"There is also the story of Charlotte's female guardian knight... but Charlotte was acting as the lord's representative, so she stayed with Karsted and didn't leave the castle. Also, Rozemyne's guardian knights were active as scouts around the temple and the downtown area."

In other words, there was no fierce exchange like we saw in the previous draft.
That fact is proof that Ehrenfest was successfully defended, so it's not embarrassing, but it doesn't have much appeal as a story.

Female knights often only serve as guards for the women of the lord's family, and few were on the front lines in cases like this one. The reinforcements sent from the Giebe territory, including her stepmother's hometown, were probably limited to male knights. Aurelia surmised this from her experience as a knight.

"Is the person you're thinking of mixing my story with is the guardian knight of the lord's family?"
"No. She's a female knight from Ilkner, which borders Ahrensbach. She was Rozemyne's former guardian knight. She actually fought alongside Bonifatius."
She's been away from the front line due to marriage, and already has children. Aurelia felt a sense of affinity with that explanation.

"Of course, I could choose to mix it with your story, but she wants to write about herself. Her husband and brother are civil servants, and her father has already risen to great heights. She is the key knight for the Giebe family."
Aurelia nodded, saying that it would certainly be impossible to write it without setting it in the Giebe territory.

Aurelia's father is a high-ranking nobleman who lives in the noble district. Having lost her mother, who was from Frenbeltag, at an early age and having grown up in the noble district without ever seeing her mother's hometown, it is difficult for Aurelia to imagine the life of a female knight in the Giebe territory. She cannot imagine how much the impression of the story would change if it was mixed in.

"Her story was also well-received in the collection of love stories."
Aurelia was familiar with the story she had been told was about a girl from the Giebe territory. She remembers reading it as a tragic love story about a knight who chose loyalty over love. She had heard that the man who was praised as a loyal knight was also Rozemyne's guardian knight.

Even without Elvira's sharp eyes, there are many interesting cases surrounding her sister-in-law. She herself is now the protagonist of a love story that will go down in history.
...Just like Rozemyne suggested making a veil from the fabric of this land, isn't there a good suggestion she could come up with?
Aurelia desperately thought about it.

If it were a book with multiple stories, what was needed would be a story about female knights fighting in the noble district, not in the lord's territory or the castle.
And there would need to be some excitement to attract the reader to replace the battle scenes that she wanted to cut. Above all, it needed to fit the purpose of shedding light on the women who fought for defense.
"But this doesn't match up to my actual actions. I think it would be a story that would appeal to women more if I included things that really happened...like preparing to go to battle, or seeing my husband off..."

At the time, she was desperately preparing for the invasion while battling her fears for the future, and her interactions with those around her were somewhat vague. I don't know if it would be a subject that would inspire my mother-in-law's creative spirit.
But if she was going to depict scenes of other female knights fighting, I would like her own to be closer to what actually happened. I would accept some dramatization on the facts.

It seemed like the proposal would be rejected for lacking excitement, but Elvira's jet-black eyes shook with amusement. Though the colors are different, the glow is very similar to Rozemyne's.
"Well... Aurelia, may I write about you and Siegrecht seeing off Lamprecht?"
"In that case..."

"Then, I would like to write about the wife's understanding and resolve as a knight seeing off her husband who is on the front line as an escort for the lord's family, and the father telling his young child who doesn't yet understand the situation that it may be the last time... no, we must keep the existence of the child a secret."
"I see... that's right."

Elvira's suggestion seemed to have struck a chord, as she began to speak at length. However, when it came to treating a child before the baptismal ceremony, she quickly reverted to the common sense of the nobles. Rozemyne is unconventional in many ways, but her stepmother, as an aristocrat, shows no flaws in her everyday behavior, and becomes surprisingly flexible only when she puts on the face of a writer. Aurelia was dumbfounded by the change.
"Thank you very much. I will withdraw this draft and change course. Also, I have one more request. Could you please think of a name for the female knight who will be the main character? ”

It was also an unexpected suggestion, but Aurelia readily nodded. She avoided an immediate reply and asked her mother-in-law to give her some time, to which she nodded generously. Aurelia didn’t know any other nobles who could call themselves writers, but she looked full of pride and joy in her work.

“I bet you can write any story, not just love stories.”

“Well, this is a challenge for me too. It’s a request from a cute girl who has ideas I don’t have.”

Chapter Text

Amalie gulped down the healing potion offered by her stepmother Elisabeth in one gulp. Her loving gaze reminded her of her mother, who she had lost long ago.

Her mother-in-law, Elisabeth, grew up in the northern part of this cold land, where winters are harsher than in other parts of the country. Having grown up in the warm capital of a large territory, Amalie found it difficult to imagine a life that emphasized gathering and hunting magical beasts, rather than a life that depended on farming alone. With her mother-in-law's explanation and having experienced the winters of this land twice, Amalie's understanding was gradually improving.

Her mother-in-law's hometown also plays a role in weakening the powerful magical beast known as the Lord of Winter. When she heard this story, Amalie vividly remembered her husband's time at the Noble Academy, when he said he wanted to come of age quickly and join the campaign to defeat the Lord of Winter.

If they did not defeat the Lord of Winter, they would have to suffer longer and harsher winters. For her husband, who grew up in a family of knights close to the lord's family, this must have been a very fulfilling and coveted mission. That's how Amalie understood it at the time. Strangely, there was no mention of her husband's mother's hometown at all.

In my stepmother's hometown, nobles and commoners unite and hunt monsters from spring to autumn. If monsters grow stronger by eating each other, there is no way to control their numbers. The north is the shield of this land, so to speak. It is the wind goddess who holds back the god of life who tries to kidnap the earth goddess and delays winter. However, contrary to this role, the land is not very productive, so there is always a problem with healing potions and their materials to give to the knights. My stepmother was not very suited to being a knight, but she chose to become a civil servant to support her brother, who is a knight, and became a skilled civil servant. This is in contrast to Amalie, who was forced to become a knight, even though she aspired to be a civil servant.

However, my stepmother, who wanted to support her hometown and her brother, married into the capital city before she turned 20, just like many noble women. This is entangled with complicated circumstances surrounding her maternal relatives.

Once upon a time, this land was home to a happy next lord and his first wife, who had been brought from within the territory. However, just as the couple had a child and the lord's family was about to begin moving towards succession, a candidate for the lord of a large territory forcibly married her off.

It was suspected that the great territory had sent a capable woman to take over the territory under its control. However, she was far too lacking in qualities both as a swindler and as a candidate for the lord.

The daughter, faced with the next lord's response, which was simply to be respectful towards the great territory, mistook the whispers of the Goddess of Chaos for the dance of the Goddess of Buds.

The entire country had long since lost the protection of its family. The daughter of a territory of darkness, whose only boast was her magical powers, would have been an ideal prey for the Goddess of Chaos. Neither the god of exorcism nor the god of warding off evil could wield their powers. The daughter simply expressed her own desires to her father, the lord of the territory. With the power of the large fief, she would not be refused. That's what she must have thought. She ignored the difference in the fief's ranking, and the fact that even though the first wife of the other woman was a high-ranking noble within the fief, there was no particular lack of her considering the ranking of the fief.

She didn't even consider the common sense of nobility that if you marry, you should behave in accordance with the rank and status of your marriage family.
The Wind Territory, as a medium fief, nevertheless did everything in its power to ensure that their daughter, who had married into the fief, behaved as if she were the future first wife of the lord. However, the goddess of advice turned her back on her, the scales of the goddess of order were broken, the goddess of wisdom was so clueless that she always acted as if she was blindfolded by the god of concealment, and this caused a lot of confusion.

And so, with the great loss of having the next lord's family, including the lord candidate who had just been baptized, demoted to the rank of high-ranking nobility, she was sealed away in the Gibe fief along with the former next lord's family.
Since her education as the next lord's wife was unsuccessful, there was no way she would do well as First Lady of the Gibe. She rose to great heights without properly giving birth to or raising the next generation of high-ranking nobles, and left only the seeds of trouble for the future.

All that was left was her only daughter, a fierce and opinionated person with a nose for the blood of the large territory, who was the poster child of Khao Saifa, full of flaws as a side branch of the lord's family.

After gaining the position of next lord's wife with the backing of the large territory, the daughter used every means possible to drive those who she believed had treated her mother and her poorly to ruin. She was smarter than her mother, but had a bad nature and not only did she not tolerate other wives for her husband, but she even promoted a woman who was merely a candidate for her husband's new wife to the distant heights. Believing that her mother, who was blameless, had risen to great heights after being treated unfairly and becoming poor, she sent several of her own women to the houses of the opposing factions as new wives. Many first wives and their children died under mysterious circumstances.

Who was it that unjustly killed the innocent?
The woman's harassment was more relentless and insidious towards the lineage of the woman who had treated her mother poorly - Elisabeth's grandmother, her father's first husband.
With the power of the fief at the time, it was a stroke of luck that she was able to prevent her daughter from becoming a lord with the backing of a large fief. In reality, lords and lord candidates are people who support and prosper their fiefs with their magic and wisdom, and are expected to have the nobility to lead others.

However, just like her mother, this girl lacked the qualities to lead others. She became a lord's first wife not through ability but through the threat of the power of a large fief, and once she was placed in the position of the most important woman in the fief, it was difficult to control her.
Proving that her mother's fears were correct, she never once put the fief above herself. She even excluded the lord's half-sister, destroying the traditional education of female candidates for the lordship in this land. After her only son became lord, she continued to wield power as the "first wife of the previous lord" even though she should have retired.

When Amalie heard this story, she was shocked, as if she had been struck down by the power of the goddess of thunder.
In her hometown, the story of the princess had been passed down as "a brave princess who threw away her position as princess of a large territory out of passionate love and even accepted the life of a lord's wife of a lower territory, but was unjustly deprived of her position as the next lord's wife." She was shocked by the discrepancy between the story of her great-aunt, known as a tragic princess, and the real person.

At the same time, she despaired that she could not live in this land, where there was tension with the large territory, if she revealed her face, which resembled that of her great-aunt.
However, her new family, including her husband and mother-in-law, were not fooled by her appearance and welcomed her with a humble and gentle disposition.

In particular, Amalie's mother-in-law Elisabeth, who treated her fairly, helped her many times, even though her great-aunt's daughter had repeatedly tried to threaten her life and honour. At first, her husband had only been looking for a marriage partner who would suit her great-aunt's daughter's wishes in order to protect the family, but even after her great-aunt's daughter's downfall, he did not change his mind and accepted her as a person.

Everyone helped her in various ways to escape the influence of her hometown and family and to adapt to this place. Her sister-in-law, who was adopted by the lord's family, also welcomed her brother's first wife very warmly, even though they did not have much direct contact. She was even confused by the difference between her family, which was also a branch of the lord's family.

The peaceful days she spent with her new family were about to be engulfed by an invasion of her hometown.
She removed the veil that she had always worn like a shield and returned to the attire she had worn when she was training as a knight. She made that decision.

This was the beginning of the long decline of this territory, and the time had come when she would have to take up her sword once again, even if it meant exposing herself to a face very similar to that of the ancestors of the women who were now about to invade this territory.
With this resolve, she persuaded her mother-in-law and prepared a defense plan with the people of the mansion.

After receiving word that her sister-in-law, who was protected by the gods, had departed for the land that held the border gate, and that her husband, a knight, and her father-in-law were in the castle and could not return to the mansion, her mother-in-law called her to the compounding room to make the final preparations.

While Amalie dried the recovery potion her mother-in-law had given her and waited for her magical power to recover, her mother-in-law handed her a vessel of water that had been purified of impurities. Amalie inserted her Schtappe into it and poured magical power into it, turning it into liquid magical power. She had done this many times in training and when preparing for childbirth.

Even if she and her husband were to die, this would be a lifeline for her child to survive. Although the child has finished the minimum necessary period of nursing, it will be several years until the baptism ceremony. Before going to battle, her husband also drank some of her mother-in-law's healing potions, leaving liquid magic power for the child.

"You can hide with the child and me. Petronella will also feel safe with you. No one will blame you if you don't take any risks."
After confirming for the umpteenth time, Amalie quietly shook her head.

She talked with her mother-in-law about stories and child-rearing, and heard about the noble academy and the trends in the area from Petronella, a slightly younger civil servant under her mother-in-law's protection, and thought back to the civil servant position that she was not allowed to apply for. The peaceful days spent at this mansion flashed through her mind.

She sent her sons, who are knights, and even her youngest daughter, who is a candidate for lordship, to the battlefield, so she is truly the wife of the commander of the knights. I don't think her judgment is wrong.

However, the day will surely never come when she will be in the same position as her mother-in-law. ...Even if I survive this battle, I will be implicated as a native of enemy territory. Even if I survive, it would be appropriate for me to live as the third wife and not appear in public. In that case, I must ask my husband to find a woman suitable to be the first wife.

This mansion does not receive much information, but among those my sister-in-law has identified as enemies to face is a candidate for lordship from her hometown. Next to him is Amelie's younger sister, who serves as an attendant.
...In fact, it may be that things will be resolved peacefully if I die in battle.

If that happens, our child may be able to be baptized as the child of her husband and new wife without any lingering regrets. If she can keep the fact that she was born from her husband, her husband and mother-in-law will not abandon the child.
My mother-in-law is an honest woman, but there is a limit to how much she can continue to protect someone from an invaded territory.

If she survives and her hometown is implicated, it would be better for her child's future if she dies. The thoughts she had been repeating for the past few days suddenly spread from the depths of her heart.

"Amalie."
"Yes."
"But maybe it's a little too strong for that girl."

She stopped what she was doing when her mother-in-law pointed it out. She moved to a chair as she was told to take a rest. Her mother-in-law put on leather gloves that were impermeable to magic and transferred the liquid magic, which had become a little too strong, into two potion flasks. Amalie tilted her head in confusion as she diluted the remaining potion with the remaining water from before and poured it into a container.

"I wonder if it will be fine for you to recover, I'll dilute the potion for that girl."
"Thank you."
"The recovery potion is there. You have to think about not only that girl, but also your own survival."

Amalie stiffened when her mother-in-law pointed it out.
"My hometown has become a land of rebellion. I no longer have a hometown or family home to return to. I'm sure my father and sister are involved."
"So you have a sister, too."
"Yes, the lord rebelled, and your sister is probably accompanying the lord. They will either be captured or rise to higher positions."

She is the only sibling from the same mother, but they have already gone their separate ways.
She lost her mother early and has rarely supported her only sister. They have always been sisters who have had some difficulty getting along.
Her father only told her to be a spy when she got married, and to be of use to her father and the territory. She feels sorry for her sister, who is prevented from marrying until the lord comes of age, but the wall that has built up between them is too high to forgive everything.

She once heard her sister say something that made her envious of her hair color, which is common among her father's lineage as a feudal lord. Amalie was envious of her charming sister, who resembled her mother in both face and hair color, but her mother, who was from a loser territory, rather than looking like her, she wanted a complexion and appearance befitting a branch of the lord's family.

In truth, Amelie has had difficulties both in her hometown and in her husband's home country due to her appearance. Her younger sister likely had her own difficulties.
...If they met again on higher ground, perhaps they could talk about it?

Her negative thoughts were similar to the ocean at night she saw in her hometown. Even if you know how to swim, if your body doesn't move, you will only sink. Amelie closed her eyes after closing her mouth.
She quickly arranged the covered containers on the box, and felt her mother-in-law turn around.

"...I can't take away all your worries, but I'm trying to think of how to protect this house and this land, so you are a member of this house and a noble of this land. If you take up your sword to protect this house and your child, I will protect your home in my own way. So please return safely."

The answer was silent, filling the mixing room with silence.

Chapter Text

"Is it a book that focuses on the contributions of women in the defensive battle?"
After a turbulent spring, the Lords' Conference was many times tenser than the year I first attended as the First Lady, and I had finally managed to put an end to the heavy work. I held a tea party with Elvira together with Charlotte.

Since Elvira was also attending the Lords' Conference as a civil servant, there was no need for her to report on the conference. The purpose was to take a breather in a somewhat personal setting and discuss the future.

When the topic shifted to the printing industry, Elvira proposed a new book. I couldn't help but tilt my head at this new perspective. I had always thought that Elvira would start working on a love story between Rozemyne and Ferdinand, and even thought that I had to stop her from releasing it while she was still a student, contrary to her previous policy.

However, what she spoke of was a concept for a story that depicts the exploits of women during the recent defense of Ehrenfest, different from traditional love stories or knight tales.
...Women looking for love stories and men who like knight tales may find this different from what they're looking for.

Even though the paper and printing industry is shared with Alexandria, Ehrenfest books are at the forefront of fashion as inexpensive books written in modern, simple language. Is there any point in releasing a book that you can't immediately tell who it's aimed at?

"Elvira, was that sister's suggestion?"
"Yes, it was Rozemyne's suggestion."

Unlike me, who was lost in thought, Charlotte seemed very interested and urged me to continue.
...Did Charlotte hear about it from Rozemyne beforehand?

From Elvira's explanation, it seems that the concept for the book came from Rozemyne, and Elvira has a lot of discretion over the events and people she uses as material.
The female knight who fought on the border with Ahrensbach, the female knight who went to other territories, and the sister attendants who remained in Ehrenfest. These are Rozemyne's aides. And the women of the lord's family who provided logistical support in the noble district and the castle... in other words, they are referring to us.

And the female knight who wore armour to protect her marriage home...
"You are concerned about Aurelia's position, aren't you?"
"Yes, under the traditional method, she would be held responsible by association."

...Aurelia was the daughter of the previous Aube's younger brother and Dietrinde's cousin.
I don't know much about her mother, who was from Frenbeltag, because we are a little older than her. But I can easily imagine the cold stares that would have been directed at someone from Frenbeltag after the coup.

When Aurelia came to be married, I was worried about the cold treatment she received after the coup and even wondered if she could remove her veil. It is easy to imagine that Aurelia's age meant that she was in a rather complicated position when she was baptized and entered the aristocratic academy. After overcoming that and finding a good husband, her younger sister has now been accused of inviting foreign aggression, and it is unfortunate that she has been implicated in such a situation.

"Speaking of Aurelia, is she not planning on taking off her veil? Your sister has been moved, and I think the culture of Ahrensbach will also change..."
"...She looks too much like Gabriele."
"Your great-grandmother, huh..."

Charlotte gives a bitter smile. Born after most of her grandparents, let alone her great-grandparents, had risen to prominence, this child has been treated coldly by her closest paternal grandmother, so she will likely not feel any closeness to her grandmother's mother.
"Like Charlotte, I have not met Gabriele in person. My memory comes from the portrait I saw at my parents' house, but I can say with certainty that Aurelia is a spitting image of him. I decided that it would be in her best interest not to remove the veil."

"I see."
"Have you seen Gabriele's portrait, Charlotte?"

"When I visited the main Leisegang household. It was before my meeting with the former Lord Leisegang, so I didn't have time to look at it long enough to remember his face. I heard that Grandma also had a portrait, but I was never invited into her private room."
Charlotte shook her head in confusion. Elvira nodded as if she understood.

I had heard about Aurelia's face from Elvira after the dyeing competition... during a winter social gathering, so it wasn't a surprise now. It was only a few years ago, but it's strange to think that Ahrensbach was a threat at the time. My mother-in-law once showed me a portrait of Ahrensbach and explained to me the tragedy of Gabriele and the greatness of Ahrensbach, but it's not something I really want to remember.

"I will not alienate Aurelia because of my appearance. Whether she wears the veil or not, the fact that she fought for her family will not change."
"Thank you. I'm sure Aurelia will feel relieved."

Elvira was smiling gently with the face of a kind mother-in-law, but suddenly she said something unbelievable.
"That's why, if I get permission, I would like to include illustrations of Aurelia in the story."

Illustrations. Charlotte froze as she muttered. "Elvira, aren't you just including her in the story so that Aurelia can live a better life without revealing her face?"
"As you saw, Florencia and Charlotte, Gabriele's portrait was also in the main Leisegang household. Everyone, from the elders to those who had just been baptized, grew up looking at it."

"You can see exactly what they were told as they grew up..."
It seems that those who grew up in the noble quarter, like Cornelius, have a weak impression of the portrait, but those who frequented the main household still remember Gabriele's face clearly.

I was relieved to hear that Leonore had persuaded Gybe Leisegang to remove the portrait before she left, but I still can't be reassured by Elvira's idea. There's a precedent. Even though she is cautious and solid, when it comes to love stories, she can sometimes be eccentric, reminiscent of Rozemyne... No, Elvira was so passionate that she even changed the gender of her own son to make him a character in a story that hid her criticism of the royal decree. At times, she also has the audacity to go beyond Rozemyne's ideas. When I recall the tea party where she and other like-minded women gave birth to the Fernestine tale, most of the ideas seem safe, and I urge her to continue.

"Lord Gabriele has risen to great heights, Lady Veronica has fallen from grace, and the former Lord Leisegang has joined the Supreme Being... but it will be a long time before the generation that saw the portrait is gone, won't it?"
Elvira's jet-black eyes sparkle. At times like these, she is uncannily similar to Rozemyne.

"But now Ehrenfest has printing. Rather than portraits, which take time to reproduce and are difficult to carry around, we can spread the illustrations from the Ehrenfest book, which are easy to print and carry around, and change the story that people associate with those features from that of a tragic princess, which was convenient for Ahrensbach, to that of a female knight who breaks away from her hometown, which violated her appearance, and fights with a new family."

...The old customs built up through portraits and oral traditions are overwritten by the ease and speed of the new technology of printing. Is that what it comes down to?
"Well, I thought I'd write clearly about Gabriele in the story and clear up the misunderstanding that he's a tragic princess..."
Charlotte was also deep in thought as she gave her own opinion.

"I originally agreed with Lady Charlotte, so I would like to incorporate that point. Rozemyne is thinking ahead... she wants to do what is best for Aurelia and any children she may have in the future as quickly as possible."
"Just as you would expect from Onee-sama, I will cooperate."
Charlotte nodded without hesitation.

"By using the story and illustrations, we can effectively reach not only those who grew up seeing the portrait, but also those who do not know the portrait and only know the story of the tragic princess. Of course, it is good that we can imprint only the story we want to spread on those who do not know either in detail. Even if they hear the story of the tragic princess at a later date, the story of the female knight who played an active role in the recent battle for the foundations should be more memorable than the story of the princess who was related to Ahrensbach decades ago. The picture book format is also good."

Charlotte's lively way of speaking overlaps with Rozemyne, who came up with the original idea for the Fernestine story.
"Charlotte, there are still few precedents for manipulating information through stories, so you mustn't get ahead of yourself. You must also pray for Sehveit's protection."

I admonish her to start gathering information first. But to Charlotte, the Ehrenfest book was a study and entertainment source that had been close to her since before her baptism, and it was Rozemyne's achievement, and love stories were an essential part of socializing. She and Elvira immediately began to exchange ideas. Things got so heated that it was complicated for me, as I was once suspected of being the mean stepmother in the Fernestine story. I called out to her to calm down a bit, but Charlotte seemed to have her eyes set on something else.

"My mother and aunt's bloodline has almost completely died out, but my great-grandmother's bloodline remains. I have often expressed my gratitude to Griefechan for the resemblance I have to my mother and my uncle Frenbeltag."
"Charlotte?"

"I am Gabriele's great-granddaughter, Veronica's granddaughter, Georgine's niece, and Dietlinde's cousin. In other words, I would have been held responsible for the crimes."
"Yes, in other times, even if we took into account Ehrenfest's achievements in battle, we might have been driven out of this land as a result of our involvement."
...There is no territory that has the financial means to do so now, though.

I myself was one of those who escaped from the responsibility of the crimes because I was far from the center of government, so I can imagine. Evilive's sword was swung down many times in Frenbeltag towards the end of the coup. In an era when there were many collateral royal families, Frenbeltag might have become a new territory with a collateral royal family as its ancestor. Of course, we do not turn a blind eye to those who cross over to the Supreme God. Divorce or annulment is the quickest way, but when it is determined that divorce is not enough, some people have committed suicide by letting their children escape before baptism.

"Isn't Aurelia prepared to not let her child be Ahrensbach's child by rising to a higher position?"
...This is something that I, not Charlotte, need to confirm.

"Yes. Until she met Rozemyne, she seemed to think that she would be implicated..."
Charlotte nodded solemnly in response to Elvira's answer. Rozemyne's proposal separated the purge of the old Veronica faction from the implicated faction. Those who dedicated their name to her became role models and moved to the new territory. However, there are still sparks within the lord's family that make one wonder if implicating them was the right decision after all.

From now on, Charlotte, as the next lord and inheritor of the Foundation Magic, must witness how this all plays out. Aurelia's case is unique, as there are no problems with her personality or actions, regardless of her lineage, but the circumstances of her inherited appearance weigh on top of that.
"Mother, I fear that the suffering that did not befall me will befall someone else...the next generation. I understand Aurelia's feelings very well."

After thinking for a while, Charlotte spoke up.
"Elvira, wasn't your sister worried that not only Aurelia's child, but also mine and Melchior's children, might show the faces of your great-grandmother and grandmother? Dietlinde looked just like my grandmother."

...Charlotte and Melchior both resembled me, and Wilfried's facial features aren't that similar to my mother-in-law's. However, as Charlotte said, it's not impossible that my grandchildren won't look like my mother-in-law.
Elvira nodded, and Charlotte nodded in agreement.

"When I was competing with my brother, I was told that I was less resistant to the nobles in the territory in terms of appearance. That's why I don't want my child to think that it's difficult to live in the territory because she resembles an ancestor she has never met. Besides, this is something that I, who will take a husband and remain in the territory, should be concerned about. My sister and uncle don't have Ahrensbach blood, but they still take such good care of her. Mother, don't you think that Henriette may start to resemble her grandmothers as she grows up?"

"I can't say for sure that she won't..."
Henriette's appearance is somewhere between mine and Sylvester's, and she is very cute. This is already the fourth child, so I understand that she won't necessarily grow up with her current appearance. No matter who she looks like in the end, she is my cute daughter, but I certainly don't want her to have any trouble with her appearance.

"In that case, if Aurelia is okay with it, let's set a precedent to change that impression, so that in the future, if a child is born who resembles them or the other women who symbolize the downfall of Ahrensbach, we can take swift measures."
It will take many years for that votive dance to be forgotten... Charlotte said with a flawless smile. I feel a little intimidated. It's true that the votive dance was widely witnessed by everyone from first-year students to their grandparents' generation. It's hard to forget, even if you want to.

"It looks like Charlotte will have more reasons to work hard at the printing industry."
"Yes, it's all thanks to my sister letting me participate before I entered the Noble Academy."
...Rozemyne gave the two older girls equal opportunities to participate in the business, but only Charlotte was able to properly understand and accept its value.

It's reassuring, but I'm also a little worried. I decided to voice my earlier question.
"I find it interesting too, but it's a story never before seen... I'm worried that women looking for love stories and men who like knight tales might find it different from what they're looking for."

"Mother, even if it's a story never before seen... no, it's good because it's a story never before seen. It was conceived by your sister, who discovered the Ditter tales, and written by Elvira, so it's guaranteed to be interesting. Also, even if it was a story that would be avoided as being novel if it was the same price as a regular book, if it's the price of an Ehrenfest book, people can try it out, since we can't do the same thing in other territories. Above all, it's a story based on Ehrenfest's defense line."

Charlotte's words were full of conviction, as she had grown up socializing at the Noble Academy, where books were borrowed and lent.

"My sister always said that the advantage of writing a story is that it allows you to mix in fabrications and exaggerations, and to conceal certainties, and that this type of printed matter can be used to sway public opinion, which is "propaganda," and that Ehrenfest, which leads the paper and printing industry, should master this. Ehrenfest must also take the lead in releasing information about the battle over Ehrenfest's foundations. Besides, I can become a character in that book, right?"

"Yes, of course."
Ever since Rozemyne was saved from a difficult situation and fell asleep in exchange, Charlotte has been devoted to her. Even before the Saint of Ehrenfest was established, she worshipped her as if she were a goddess. Now, Rozemyne has truly become the incarnation of the goddess.

...If she could become a character in the book Rozemyne desires and deliver it to her, Charlotte would be very happy.
"I also think that this is a book that should be published in this era, when a female Zent ascends to the throne, Rozemyne becomes lord while still underage, and Lady Charlotte becomes the next lord."

Elvira probably wants to use the book to encourage her daughter who has set off on a journey far away.
"Besides, love stories should wait until graduation, as a rule..."

"I don't think it has to be a love story... No, it was Rozemyne's idea, wasn't it?"
"You're trying to change Yurgenschmidt with the book, sister."
Charlotte looks like she's having a lot of fun. A while ago, you might have said that I was praising her too much, but she has really become that way.

...But still, she's probably still a cute girl to Elvira.
We've been friends for over a decade, and I'm still sometimes amazed at Elvira's courage. I've been even more surprised by Rozemyne, and recently Charlotte has also surprised me...

As I was lost in my thoughts, Charlotte's cheerful voice came in saying, "Next, let's call Brunhilde and have a meeting." It's a pity that she is on a trip home to inspect the place.

"Is there anything else that's bothering you, mother?"
When Charlotte asked me, I took a sip of tea and thought for a moment. This project won't stop, and at this rate the writing will progress quickly. If there's anything I should point out now...

"If you're going to use the defense of Ehrenfest as your subject, will you also include a separate story about the exploits of the men? I think that would have more problems to solve..."

Elvira and Charlotte exchanged glances at my question. It seemed that Charlotte had been entrusted with the answer, and the girl was deep in thought.
"I think it's for the same reason as your mother, but I think it shouldn't be released right away."

Charlotte's answer was a relief. If it were something new and interesting, no, if it was just a little while ago, I would have been thinking about how to hold back Sylvester here. It's difficult to have such worries now.

"There are several reasons... First of all, there will be other books published about this incident. Alexandria will publish a book about Dunkelfelger's activities in the real Ditter as a reward for Dunkelfelger's help, and we will also publish a book about the process of the founding of Alexandria to increase the legitimacy of your sister's appointment as Aube and to promote your relationship with your uncle."

"Yes, I'm working hard on it, but I need to decide how and when to release it..."

Elvira nods in a good mood. It would be better to reveal the details of the founding of the territory sooner, but she seems to be torn between this and the principle of waiting until the characters graduate before writing a love story. Dunkelfelger's book was said to be used in cases where there were not enough royal candidates for the Zent. With Aube Dunkelfelger's momentum, it's not going to be shelved.

"It's only natural that the book about the defense of Ehrenfest would be added to this. However, to write about the men, I have to mention the actions of the men in the lord's family, such as Father, Bonifatius, your brother, and Melchior."
"That's right."

...It also highlights the small number of members of the lord's family and the differences in their achievements.
"I took Melchior out in the temple master's uniform, but we need to be careful because it's unclear how much the other territories know about the temple's affairs. It could also highlight the differences in the content of each individual's military achievements."

Seeing how he explained smoothly and without stuttering, Elvira nodded vigorously.
"Besides... I think that a battle between siblings over the Foundation is a bit too provocative to be disguised as entertainment, compared to the stories of Aube Dunkelfelger, who defeated the invaders and the rebellious knight commander at the Noble Academy, and your sister, who stole the Foundation and defeated Lanzenave."

It's a fact that can't be hidden, but it's not something to be spread around as entertainment. I don't know how it would fare as a subject for creative works, but there's no doubt that it ended in a bad outcome compared to other battles.
...The struggle between siblings over who would be the next lord escalated into armed invasion and a fight for their lives. It's something that Charlotte can relate to.

I don't think Charlotte will become like Lady Georgine, and she probably won't waver in her current state, but if she had known about Lady Georgine's circumstances at one point... when Wilfried won the position of next lord through his engagement without much effort, or when Rozemyne's transfer was decided and the atmosphere at the castle was at its worst, even Charlotte might have wavered.

"...What do you think, mother?"
"I think Sylvester would accept it if he were to become the main character of the story...but I don't think it's now."

For Sylvester's battle to become a story, it will take a few more years and further compromise with the next lord...Charlotte, who protected the foundation together with him.
"When the time is right, please propose it to me, I'm sure she will be happy."
"...I'd like you to stop it, mother."

Charlotte nodded with a wry smile and immediately returned to talking about the book concept with Elvira. When it comes to creating a story, no matter how many times you listen to it, you never know which way it will go. But if Charlotte is smiling and thinking that she can help her sister who has left her, then maybe that's fine.

Chapter Text

Catherine rode her mount, cutting through the cold air for the end of spring, and gained altitude. She advanced, tracing the ridgeline that embraced her hometown.
The territory her family has ruled for generations is a large land, but most of it is mountainous. Forestry is thriving, but there are no special products unique to the territory, and it is off the road connecting the border gate and the main town. By noble standards, it is a somewhat inconvenient place, and there is nothing particularly noteworthy about it. That was the reputation of her hometown until she came of age.

After her baptism, she went to the capital, learned about the wider world at the noble academy, and learned why her family and others described her hometown as a countryside with little to see. But her deep love for her hometown remained unchanged. The rich nature and climate with unfrozen rivers ensured that the people would not starve. The various magical beasts that appeared there would leave materials if people took the trouble to defeat them. The nobles protected the land and the people, and the people respected the nobles who could defeat the magical beasts. The distance between the nobles and the people was so close that the nobles in the capital looked on their faces with suspicion. She loved her hometown with all her heart. Her father's illness and the harassment of the former lord's wife had put the whole family in a difficult situation, and she had done her best for her hometown, even though she was a daughter whose engagement had been broken off.

Now she is over twenty and has become a mother. Her child is still young, but when she is old enough to sit quietly, she wants to show her hometown from the sky like her father did for her. That's what she thought. Although her father recovered from his illness, he was in a hurry to hand over the reins to Catherine's brother. There was no guarantee that she would be able to ride a beast with her young grandson in a few years.

It was all thanks to Lady Victoria's new industry, Catherine muttered. The reputation of the territory being a boring rural area was a thing of the past. For several years after coming of age, Catherine served a girl who was a candidate for lordship. The girl, who had an unusual background and was raised in the temple, showed excellence beyond her years even before her baptism, and enriched the territory with both her abundant magical power and numerous novel ideas.

The opposing faction naturally criticized her background as being raised in the temple, but Catherine thought that this was due to fear. The former lord's wife, who wielded power in the territory at the time, saw her mother and her half-brother as the reason for her and her own misfortune, and did not even try to hide her resentment. Victoria's mother was related to the lineage of the former lord's wife's half-sibling. If the former lord's wife had known that a daughter far more talented than herself, with magical powers surpassing those of the great territory's blood, had been born from a lineage she hated so much that she wanted to eradicate it, she would have easily ended her life before the baptism.

Now that the former lord's wife has fallen from grace, the new industry brought about by Victoria is enriching the entire territory. Her hometown is one of the places where this started. Her family feels embarrassed to thank her, saying that it is thanks to Catherine that she has earned their trust as her guardian knight.

If this continues, the fire season will come as usual, and there will be no hunger. With this confidence, she heads south, paying close attention to the border. This land borders two territories. The medium territory to the west, and the great territory with the dark border gate to the south. From the sky, you can see the former great fief that borders the two fiefs. It was abolished in a coup and is now under the control of the Great Dark Territory.

When my father first taught me about the shape of this land, he told me that the borders, whether between fiefs or between gibes, are never visible. The only visible shapes are the boundary gates created by the magic of the lord.
But now it's different. In the forest below, the borders are vaguely visible. You can see the differences in the height and branches of the trees, the green of the leaves that sprout in spring, the color of the soil, and even the density of the undergrowth. The forests of my hometown are richer than they have been in the past few years, but the fief to the west is a little sparser, and it's clear that they are struggling.

As for the great fief to the south, those who knew the past look away with a look of pain on their faces. For years now, commoners from the great fiefs have been crossing the border in search of the forest's bounty. Since it is obvious that the forest and the people are in poverty, the people of this land, including Catherine's father, accept it as long as no direct conflict occurs. It is said that eventually the great territory will be filled with magic, the harvest will return, and the number of people crossing the border will decrease. The problem is that there are no signs of improvement even after many years, and it is getting worse. Catherine, who gained experience as a knight in the capital and accompanied the lord on his religious ceremonies around the country, cannot help but worry that someday those who are starving will resort to violence. Now that the country's power has declined, it is said that armed conflict is unlikely to occur. The neighboring great territory has a severe shortage of members of the lord's family, and it is clear that the lands far from the direct control of the territory are not being looked after by magic or with eyes.

The royal family offers their magic to support the country, and the lord's family offers their magic to support the territory. That is the way this country is. The temple, which was a place that the nobles avoided, also contributes to this. Until Victoria, through joint research with the House of Lords, made the importance of the rituals known to the whole country, everyone had treated it as if it were non-existent.
Even if one were able to occupy another's land by force, unless the king redraws the borders, the magical powers would not be sufficient, and effective control would be impossible. If the other side cancelled the rituals because the land had been taken from them, sooner or later the land would become barren.

It is not uncommon for commoners to have skirmishes between each other, or some disputes over the disposal of monsters that have crossed the border, but in most cases compensation is limited to money. If there is a difference in rank, it is not uncommon for people to just give up and not complain. It is rare for the king to be forced to redraw the borders over the occupation of land. If that large territory were to launch a large-scale attack with the aim of expanding its territory, they would likely make the necessary arrangements to get the king to redraw the borders, and then deploy overwhelming military forces and supplies. That's how it goes in a battle to seize large-scale territory or target the very foundations of a territory. That's what Catherine had been taught as someone who lived near the border. What's more, it's now considered impossible for the king to redraw the borders. No matter how powerful a territory is, it cannot force its king to do what it does not have. It is ironic that a king who has nothing would be the one to suppress a large-scale armed conflict.

Catherine frowned, even more confused about the intentions of the neighboring territory. Since the lord's family of her own territory was calling for caution, she figured that must mean that they had obtained some reliable information.
After confirming that there were no abnormalities on the border between the three territories, Catherine decided to return to Giebe's mansion.

Further beyond the border, a former great territory that was even more dilapidated than the Great Dark Territory, the exposed reddish-brown color of the ground caught her eye.
Catherine's trust in the lord's family had been proven right. As she was descending towards the mansion, an Ordnance flew from the mansion and landed on her hand.
Following the instructions of her brother's voice, she headed straight for the lord's office in her simple armor.

On her way to the office, she passed a civil servant and a group of servants led by a butler. She exchanged greetings with the group, who were walking faster than usual, and asked her husband, who was waiting at the door, for permission to enter, which he immediately opened. Her brother was sitting at the desk, while her father was using the reception chair.

Although the succession is due to be approved this year, her brother was sitting uncomfortably at the desk that had only been handed over to him the other day.
"News from the castle. An invasion of the territory is expected within the next few days. The southern part of the country should be especially prepared... they say."

Catherine read through the letter containing the magical tool she had been given, and handed it to her husband, who was standing next to her. "So Aube thinks that a battle over the foundations is unavoidable."
"Yeah, it seems there's almost no information on the enemy's strength."

Perhaps struggling to make a decision, my brother sighed deeply. I instinctively looked back at my father, but he just nodded deeply. His intention to leave the decision to my brother, the next in line, remains unchanged.
"I think the chances of an enemy appearing here are low..."
"It would be a long detour to aim for the capital, and the borders around here are complicated."

There are several Gibe territories that border the Great Dark Territory, but I don't think they would choose this place, which borders two of them, as a stopover. That seems to be the opinion of my brother and the people in the office.
"If a noble crosses the border of the territory, the Lord will sense it, but that doesn't mean we should all just sit around and wait. Let's increase the number of knights patrolling the border. It's unfortunate that it seems like we're threatening the commoners who come in to seek the bounty of the mountain, but that doesn't mean they won't be used."
"... It's a shame to tighten the screws now that we've tolerated it, but there's no other way."

Her brother nodded with a sour look on his face.
"Because commoners don't have magical powers, they can freely cross the border and become collaborators. Let's gather information from commoners who go to the mountains and traveling merchants."
After ringing a bell, the leaders decided to strengthen the patrols by the knights and reconfirmed the evacuation plan for the territory's citizens. As she was about to leave the office with her husband, who seemed to want to say something, Catherine stopped in her tracks.

"So then I'll join the knights...huh?"
The Ordnance came in through the window and landed in Catherine's hand. "It's Victoria."

Hearing her lord's voice for the first time in a long time, Catherine and everyone in the office looked at the white bird with wide eyes. Given the situation, her voice was a little stiff, but the former lord's voice was still clear and beautiful, and new information was announced one after another, increasing the tension in the office.

"That's all. May Angriff's blessing be upon Catherine. Also, I will not be able to respond to Ordnance immediately for a while. I will leave any urgent matters to one of my aides who I will leave behind in the capital..."
Catherine's lips lit up at her former lord's words of encouragement.

It seemed that a major change had occurred in the capital in the space of a single bell. It was strange that Victoria, an underage female candidate for lord, had hinted at leaving the capital, but the latest information she brought was so abundant that even listening to it three times was not enough, and her brother's face was getting paler.
"Increasing patrols of the border was the right decision, and I must also increase my training in actual combat situations."

Although the intensity of my training had increased since the previous notice, I had been away from training for a long time due to giving birth.
Even after a few days of intensified training, it was still a long way from my prime... when I was Victoria's guardian knight. Catherine clenched her fist.

"Are you planning to go to the front lines as well?"

"Lady Victoria is also taking action herself, and I cannot afford to fall behind." After answering her husband's question firmly, Catherine raised her head and left the office.

"It is reassuring that the young lady, who has experience as a guardian knight in the capital, will accompany you, but were you not opposed to your young lady going into battle?"

The next day, during the patrol, the commander of the knights who was accompanying her asked Catherine that question.
He is a little younger than her father, and a mentor that Catherine can rely on. He is also a reliable and broad-minded person, which makes him ideal for the commander of the knights of the Giebe territory, who diligently hunt magical beasts.

"My husband was against it, but... is it possible that all the knights are facing backlash from their families because of this incident?"

"No, it's normal for knights to face danger, so no one would openly say they want to run away with their families."

He said that those who had just reached adulthood and those whose wives were pregnant were left to guard the mansion. Catherine did not disagree.

"I think that's a good line to draw. If something were to happen, it would be terrible if the child left behind in the womb were put in danger as well."

If the entire Giebe territory were to be overrun, the future would be uncertain, but Catherine smiled at the commander of the knights, accepting the assumption. He also nodded deeply after a short pause.

In the distance, she could see the members of the knights returning from a patrol in the opposite direction. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing nothing unusual.
The familiar members of the Knights, the scenery of the mountains of her hometown, filled with the same tranquil greenery as always.

Suddenly sensing something was off, Catherine stopped her mount.
"It was like the trees were swaying over there, even though there was no wind..."

Catherine fixed her gaze in the direction of the border. The difference in the lushness of the greenery made the border faintly visible even from a distance. It looked like a small number of the trees had moved on the other side of the border. Similar testimonies came in, and everyone was on guard.
"Let's lower our altitude and get closer, with someone who can enhance their vision in front."

Following the leader's orders, we closed the distance while remaining cautious.
"What is this...!"
"It doesn't seem to be a black magic tree..."

As if straddling the border, the trees disappeared in a gaping hole, and reddish-brown earth spread out. Some suspected it was a magic tree that rarely appears in the wind season, but if that was the case, there must be a main body that absorbs the magic power of the land and grows rapidly. While everyone was wondering what was going on, more and more trees had disappeared in the vicinity.

"There are people there, carrying weapons... and that cloak!"
"They've finally come!"

With the trees gone, several figures were revealed in the open.
Amid the surprised cries of the members, Catherine gasped when she saw what they were holding.

"A black weapon..."
"Did you defeat the demonic beast? There are no traces of it."

Why is he using a weapon meant to fight against dark demonic beasts and demonic trees? Unable to gauge the intentions of the enemy wearing the cloak of the Dark Territory, questions are raised one after another. Even Catherine tilts her head at the unknown behavior, both in training and in classrooms.

"That weapon is meant to steal magical power from black demons, but if used on humans it can also steal magical power. It may even be usable on non-magic trees."
The commander of the knights spoke in a stern voice, trying to calm the excited members.

"Are they planning to continue fighting without using healing potions by continuing to steal their magic?"
"That's an advance party, and they're trying to clear the way for the main force by eradicating the trees. They might be sending in people without magic to plunder."

"People without magic... are they just servants at the invasion base?"
"If they're planning to pass through, it would be more effective to send them off and attack them from both sides with the Knights of the Knights or the knights of the other Giebe territories, but we can't just stand by and watch our forests being ravaged like this."

In the end, we'll lose the forest's blessings and starve, and it could have an impact on the terrain and rivers. Catherine bit her lip as she watched the trees disappear one by one below her.
"Shall we arrest them here and there?"
"No, let's go back and contact the Giebe and the Aube..."
Catherine gave orders. However, as they tried to turn their mounts around, a dry whoosh sound echoed, chasing them.

"They've spotted us! Be careful with their bows and arrows."
"We'll capture them before they hide in the forest!"
"Magical attacks only strengthen them, so be careful!"

Due to the lush greenery on this side of the border, the area where the trees had disappeared was not that large.
"Once deactivated, they can't go back to using their black weapons for the rest of the day. Attack them so they can deactivate the weapon and grab a shield!"

The young knight looked up in surprise at her words. Assuming that it wouldn't be a problem if the trees had already disappeared, he threw in a magical tool for attack.
"It appears that two of the five have switched to shields."
"We'll descend and capture them."

Several knights began to move, and in the meantime an enemy was attacked, causing one of them to change his weapon into a shield. With the numbers reduced, the area where the trees were disappearing visibly narrowed.
"Wait! There's someone in the forest... a separate unit that's been picked up by my magic detection."

Catherine looked at a low-ranking knight nearby, but he shook his head. If Catherine, a member of the Giebe clan, could detect them, but the low-ranking knight couldn't, then the enemy must have more magical power than Catherine. Quickly figuring that out, Catherine decided to retreat.
"Let's retreat before we're caught in a pincer attack and wait for the Giebe's decision!"

They returned to the Giebe's mansion, chasing the news of the Ordnants. Just like a few days ago, the civil servants and servants were running around busily.
Catherine and the commander of the knights headed straight for the Giebe's office, but were stopped by a civil servant waiting in front of the door. The lord's barrier had detected the intruder, and an urgent message had been sent from the lord to the Giebe. The person waiting told them this.

"Although it is unusual, we plan to have verbal approval for the succession of the governor."
"I appreciate it, but I never imagined that my brother's first official job would be a battle between territories."

It would be better for a younger, healthier brother to take command rather than an ailing father, but this would be far too unusual for a brother who is naturally calm and has a gentle disposition to be the first to do this.
The words of the sister, worried about her brother, relaxed the atmosphere slightly among the civil servants and knights who knew her brother as a person.

"Lady Catherine, this is about the information gathering you were ordered to do the other day. I have already informed the governor..."
There was nothing the people outside the door could do until the communication was finished. Even though they had requested approval for the succession, the wait felt extremely long. After hearing the report from the civil servant to speed up the information exchange, and sending the Ordnance to their former colleague in the capital, the door slowly opened.
"Catherine, everyone, welcome back."

"Brother, as Lady Victoria warned, the enemy has crossed the border. They are using black weapons to steal magic from the trees and land. It is difficult to tell if they are fighting for a long time without using healing potions, or if they have some other purpose, such as getting an ally without magic, but the knights of the Lordship of the Lordship alone cannot handle it."

"When I heard about the black weapons in Ordnance, I wondered what was going on, but I reported it to the lord and requested reinforcements."

In the Lordship's office, the desk was occupied by the largest map, and he finished reporting to his brother, who had officially become Lordship. His brother, a civil servant, frowned at his prediction about the black weapons, but paled when he heard that there was a separate unit in addition to the group of five or more.
"If they were detected by your magic detection, it means they may be a mid-ranking or high-ranking noble with abundant magical powers."

"I think so. What about the Commander of the Knights?"
"...I think there are nobles from abandoned territories among them."
"Eh?"
"I saw a familiar face from my time at the Noble Academy. The five of them were wearing cloaks of a dark territory, but they seemed to be the lords of abandoned territories under their control and their subordinates."

"I can't believe that even the lords of other territories are joining the battle..."
"It was because they had the power to be deeply involved in the political upheaval that they had no choice but to abolish the territory and split it into two. The surviving nobles must be bitter. Are the black weapons to gain magical power for their own territories?"

The lord sighs deeply.
"If the lords of territories who are in poverty due to a lack of magical power are cooperating, it's not going to stop easily."

Both Catherine and her brother make it a guiding principle of the lord family to not let their people starve. For this reason, for many years now, they have tolerated the commoners crossing the border in search of the forest's bounty.
The brothers and sisters' shoulders trembled as they imagined how much conflict there must have been before they crossed the line of stealing magical power from the land, rather than just taking a small amount, and how much damage it would cause now that they have exceeded a thousand.

"It would be fine if the Dark Territory only had the number of people they could mobilize secretly..."

"Brother, there's no point in talking about hypothetical situations that have disappeared. We must speak as if we are taking on two large territories. Even though the number of nobles has decreased, there is an overwhelming difference in their numbers."

"Even though I know it's reckless, we have no choice but to hold out with the number of people we can mobilize now until reinforcements arrive from the capital or the nearby Gibe territory. We would like to avoid young people becoming victims if possible."

The commander of the knights sighed deeply. At this rate, the knights who were once assigned to the mansion would also be sent to the front lines.
"What will happen if we knights do not protect this land and the lives of the people? I will go. I will not be one of the young people left behind."

With the experience of actual combat and the training that can only be received in the capital, I will not lose to a young knight. Catherine said proudly, but her husband's face turned pale. He shook his head as if he did not want to believe it.

"Wait, you are no longer a knight. You are a member of the Giebe family and the child's mother. For the sake of the child, please stop fighting recklessly. Regardless of your experience in active duty, you have been away from training due to giving birth and raising your child."

"You..."

Her husband's argument was reasonable. Although she was not married to him out of love, she did her best to ensure that her husband, who had come from the capital to the frontier, would not be isolated, and they walked together as a couple supporting the next Giebe. If she did not return, her husband and child would be sad. Catherine understood his plea all too well, but she shook her head.
"I am a knight of the Lord's family. It is natural that I should fight to protect this land. If I am the only one left here in the manor, it will affect morale."

"Even so..."
"Besides, there is no guarantee that the front line is the only dangerous battle. The enemy is not just passing through, but has the intention of harming us, so there is no guarantee that they will not attack this manor. There is no safe place. I quit being Lady Victoria's guardian knight when I got married for the sake of my hometown. Even though I am my former master, I want to be a knight who does not shame him, who fights for his territory."

I have no intention of dying easily, but even if I am not rewarded, I still want to end this life as a knight who does not shame his name. "Even if I rise to a high position in this battle, the child still has you as his father, his brother who is the Lord, and his parents. I leave the child's care to you as his father. Please do not stop."
Her husband turned to his brother-in-law, the Lord, with a bitter expression on his face. The Lord Chancellor shook his head quietly.

"I'm sorry, but as Lord Chancellor, I accept the opinions of Catherine and the Commander. That's what it means to produce a knight from the Lord Chancellor family. Catherine, as the successor to the Lord Chancellor, I respect your decision. Of course, I don't want you to do anything reckless..."
Her husband slumped his shoulders in disappointment.
"You are truly a knight at heart. I understand that your will will not change, but as the mother of this child, I would like you to refrain from doing anything reckless as much as possible."
"Yes, I promise."

The Lord Chancellor spoke, extending his hand to the young couple.
"Lady Catherine, do not underestimate everyone's concerns. Let's fight to minimize casualties, while buying time until reinforcements arrive. As before, I think it would be best to aim to disable the black weapons."

The Lord Chancellor's words brought the office to life again. While the Guardian and the civil servant were checking where the reinforcements would eat and rest, the Knight Commander, Catherine, and her husband were discussing the organization of the knights and the magical tools they would bring.

"Since this is an attack to stop the black weapons, it would be appropriate to scatter neutralizing drugs or use magical tools that shoot pebbles instead of magical attacks."
"Hmm, you have quite a stockpile of magical tools for physical attacks."
"Well, as expected of you."
"It can also be used to defeat magical beasts."

Catherine smiled at her husband's words. Just as her husband returned a stiff smile, Ordnance came flying in and landed in Catherine's hand. The knight who served as a guardian knight during the feudal capital's time introduced himself and expressed his gratitude for the information.

His name caused a slight tension in the room, and Catherine smirked as she listened to the familiar voice. Her brother was smiling wryly. The voice belonged to the man who had proposed marriage to her in order to protect her honour when her ex-fiancé had publicly scorned her for being a girl without a husband.

"It is highly unlikely that a noble from your own territory would be incognito at this time. As you and your informant had predicted, it is highly likely that they are enemies. We will contact the Gibe territory and direct territories along the route and trace their tracks.
I have heard that an enemy has been found there, so I pray for the protection of Angriff, the god of valor.
Ah, Lady Victoria has received reinforcements from the Fire territory and has entered the Dark territory. Please assume that the Ordnance will not reach them for a while."

"Lady Victoria?"
Catherine's eyes widened at the information that was casually added. Her brother was stunned, as he looked back and forth between the magic device used to communicate with the castle and the Ordnance in Catherine's hand. Her brother had spoken to the Aube earlier, but not a single word had been said about Victoria's departure. There was no way she could get there without passing through the southern part of the territory, including the Gibe territory. Moreover, she had apparently received reinforcements from the Territory of Fire. What did it mean to receive reinforcements from the territory on the other side of the Territory of Darkness in order to enter the Territory of Darkness?

After desperately trying to remember the remaining two audio recordings, Catherine suddenly looked up as everyone in the office looked at her.
They move without going through the south, get reinforcements from other territories, and invade other territories.
The common thread between all the related territories.

"Brother, everyone, the goddess of wisdom has not abandoned this land. No, Lady Victoria may be the goddess of wisdom in this land. As someone who lives in the land of the wind goddess who governs protection, I would like to do my best to protect the territory."
"Catherine, that is..."

Her brother could no longer hide his trembling, but it was not Catherine's role to control him. She left the mansion to prepare for the battle. As she was taking roll call of the knights, her husband came running out of the mansion carrying a wooden box.
"These are the magical tools you requested earlier."
"Thank you very much, there are so many."

As she instructed the young knights to distribute them, Catherine turned to her husband.
"As you can see, I am a knight, so I am truly grateful that you, an excellent civil servant, have become my god of darkness. Please stay safe."

"Yes, I am also proud that you are my goddess of light. No, you are now more like a goddess of gale running around the front lines."
"That is quite an honour."

"You want to be a knight who does not shame Lady Victoria. I was sceptical of the trend of describing her as the incarnation of the goddess of wisdom, but... you are confident."
Her husband spoke uncomfortably. Victoria's career and achievements are so varied and flashy that those who have not seen them up close may perceive them as exaggerations, so Catherine thought that this was only natural.

"Yes, in this place... no, in this country, it is Lady Victoria who has offered the sincerest prayers, revived the lost rituals, and tried to correct the distorted view of the temple, so I won't be surprised no matter what happens."

As her husband sent her off with a bitter smile, Catherine and the other members of the Knights began their search from the spot where they had found the enemy earlier. More and more trees had disappeared, and from a distance, the shape of the ridgeline was slightly changing.

The Knight Commander told the young members that the priority was to buy time. They had to disable the black weapons, and even if they couldn't capture them due to the difference in numbers or magical power, they should concentrate their attacks to slow down their feet and give them time to recover...

"The enemy is still in the forest, so let's set up the magic tool now."

The places where the trees had disappeared were concentrated near the border, which seemed to support the leaders' speculation that they were trying to create a diversion. If they were going to pass through this area to head for the capital, it would not be wise to steal the magical power of the land and reveal their location. That's what Catherine and the others decided. The knights dropped magical tools one after another. They were magical tools that her husband had suggested and had been saving up. They had the effect of exploding and scattering stone fragments, but they didn't explode on their own. By dropping a magical tool with an explosive function later, they would cause a chain reaction of explosions. Catherine was surprised that her brother had given permission for a plan to damage the trees, but her brother decided that if they won and survived, they could heal them later. As they continued their work, the knight on guard at the southernmost side raised a warning.

"Someone is moving through the forest, they've picked up on my magical detection!"
"Are they coming?"
The trees disappeared again in front of the knights who were lowering their altitude.

"Detonate the magic tool!” The commander of the knights gave the order.
The magical tools exploded and the trees shattered, blocking the path of the figure in the forest.

"What's that?!"
"Entova... gwah!"

In the blast, several figures are revealed as if caught in the fallen trees. Among the colors of the trees, the colors of the full-body armor and the cloaks of the Dark Domain stand out terribly. "Don't let them get away!" the knight commander ordered.
"Capture Gibe first!"
"I'll come!"

Aiming at the enemy knight who was moving to be protected, Catherine and the knight nearby increased the speed of their mounts. She aimed her bow and shot down the helmet that had shifted slightly. Catherine was more certain that the hair and eye colors were as the knight commander had said, and transformed her weapon again.
"Liisichel"

"Lady Catherine?!"
The knight who had been blocking the magical power coming out with his shield cried out in confusion at her weapon.

"Knights aren't just meant to be defeated. They need to be separated from their allies!"
The enemy lord's face turned pale as the beast didn't slow down.
The knights were from the frontier of the central territory, so they probably thought they could overwhelm them with their magical powers. "Please run," the knight, buried among the trees, called out to him, but his feet didn't move.

Catherine swung her scythe at the lord. The approaching death made the man barely manage to raise his arm to protect his neck. Just as Catherine had predicted, the scythe hit his bare torso with force, blowing him backwards. His armour made a loud noise as the man crashed into a tree. No matter how much the difference in magical power there was, it was difficult to counteract the impact of a blow and a collision. It would have been more effective if the man wasn't a professional knight.

"Handcuffs!"
The enemy lord was unconscious, but just to be on the safe side, he pointed a scythe at his neck, buying time for the knight to put shackles to seal the Schtappe.

"Don't think that capturing us is the end of it, you country bumpkin..."
The man seemed to have regained consciousness, and spoke in a hoarse voice.
Catherine glared down at the man and opened her mouth to speak, but then a white bird flew in. She heard her brother's voice say, "Reinforcements will arrive in one bell."

This was an impossible speed under normal circumstances, and seeing the man at her feet with his eyes widened in shock, Catherine tried her best to keep a calm face. She didn't understand the reasoning behind it, but it was probably the wisdom of her former master, and she hid her rising joy deep inside.

"Whatever you call it, this is the domain of the wind goddess, the land that protected and nurtured the goddess of wisdom."

Chapter Text

"Lady Aurelia, thank you for joining us today."

"Lady Muriella, I'm afraid I have to represent my mother-in-law, but... I'll leave the storytelling to you."

"Yes, leave the printing to me and Philine. We haven't been able to meet Brigitte during the winter. We'd appreciate it if you could join us."

One day, just a few days before the summer star-knot, we were waiting for our guest, Lady Brigitte of Illgner, in the Linkberg family hall.
Lady Elvira had started writing a story based on the events of this spring, and wanted Lady Brigitte to personally check the manuscript. However, Lady Elvira, who suddenly became the mother of the lord of a large territory, is very busy. Today, the lord called for me to attend.

At short notice, I, Lady Elvira's civil servant, and Philine, Lady Rozemyne's civil servant, were entrusted with the manuscript, and Lady Aurelia, who I knew from winter social gatherings, was to attend on behalf of Lady Elvira.
Elvira's arrangement was likely intended to allow Lady Aurelia to gain experience as a hostess representative.

Lady Brigitte is a mid-ranking noble, and I've heard that she is a gentle person with no arrogance. She has a good reputation among those who served as Lady Rozemyne's guardian knights. Lady Aurelia, who was exhausted until recently from fear of being implicated in the Ahrensbach incident, can now talk to him without feeling too tense.

"Lady Aurelia, don't touch you face too much..."
In response to Philine's hesitant remark, Lady Aurelia quickly removed her hand from her cheek. Originally, she would remove her veil when inside the mansion for her son, but this is the first time she has removed it when a guest comes.

Lady Aurelia is very worried about her face, which is the spitting image of her paternal relative, Lord Gabriele.
Lord Gabriele is the mother of the former lord's wife, Lady Veronica, the grandmother of Aub Ehrenfest, and the great-grandmother of Charlotte and her husband, and a former candidate for the lordship of Ahrensbach.

It has been decades since then. She fell in love with the next lord at the time, Lord Ehrenfest... who would later become the first Count Groschel, and forced her into marriage, bringing chaos to Ehrenfest for a long time. No matter how much you romanticize it, it is a poor love story that cannot be enjoyed.
Since one of her aides married the then-Giver Bessel, I also have the blood of the Ahrensbach nobility in my veins... but no, I don't care about my blood relatives or my real parents, who no longer exist.

Since the boy was born, he was treated as if he didn't exist, not only in his family home closer to Ahrensbach, but even in the family where he was baptized. I had the opportunity to greet Lady Veronica in the year of his unveiling, along with the man who was his father at the baptism, but rather than praising her beautiful features, I was puzzled as to how she could have such a frightening face that exuded something dark. Of course, I didn't say it out loud. Since she was a daughter that her father didn't value, Lady Veronica never invited her to see a portrait of Lord Gabriele.

Before she got married, Lady Aurelia was skilfully threatened over there about her request to look like Lord Gabriele. Many of the nobles in Ehrenfest were frightened, as if they remembered Lord Gabriele's face as an object of fear and contempt, and stubbornly refused to remove her veil.

If things had continued as they were, she would have had an uncomfortable life, even if her mother-in-law was Lady Elvira, but a turning point came soon. Lady Rozemyne suggested that Aurelia make a veil out of Ehrenfest's new fabric for the dyeing competition, and she immediately accepted the suggestion. I heard that Elvira approached her sincerely from then on, and that her relationship with her husband's family was not strained.

So when I told Aurelia that neither Philine nor I had seen Gabriele's portrait, she looked visibly relieved.
Because of the way I was treated at home, I never had the "honour" of seeing Veronica's portrait. When I added that, she looked extremely embarrassed, and told me that she herself had wanted to leave her home. I felt like I understood a little bit more about why Lady Rozemyne was so concerned about Aurelia.

Lady Aurelia really likes talking about Lady Rozemyne.
And because she is restricted from going out, she often spends her time reading Ehrenfest books, so I started to be called in occasionally to talk to her.

Rozemyne's suggestion once saved me, and I respect Elvira. Also, my family is unreliable. Thanks to these commonalities, Philine and I were able to ease Aurelia's guardianship early on, despite our difference in rank.

"I greeted Brigitte, but I didn't get to speak to her for very long, so may I ask what kind of person she is?"
"Brigitte is a very honest person, and Cornelius and Damuel have said that she and her brother, the lord, do not like ruthless tactics. Because she was neutral, she was targeted by the Veronica faction, and they tried to take over by making her Brigitte's husband, but she chose to break off the engagement, knowing that it would be flawed."

Philine adds.

"In search of a patron, she served Lady Rozemyne, who was in a difficult position at the time because her upbringing at the temple had been made public, and she gained enough trust to be the first to invite a papermaking workshop to her."

"And she is also the love interest of Damuel. It is the third chapter of the volume you were rereading the other day, a tale of tragic love."
"Muriella!"
Philine hurriedly waves her hand at my remark. It is adorable, considering that Lady Brigitte is already married and Philine is officially engaged to Damuel.

"Well, I had heard that she was the subject of a love story, but she was Lord Damuel's partner. That story was very sad, but I sympathized with the woman who sought the best as a member of the Giebe family, and the fact that the knight who proposed to her was loyal. I don't know Lord Damuel very well, but from what I've heard from Lady Philine, I've heard that he is a wonderful person, so I understand."

"That's right. Damuel is a very good person..."
"Philine, you're bragging."

"Isn't it because of Muriella?"
Philine's blush is very cute. Damuel and Lady Brigitte were mutual in their feelings, so Philine is a little shy. I don't think Damuel is a man skilled enough to betray Philine and mess with a married woman. Still, it's interesting to be interested in someone who is a fiancé ten years apart and has a love affair like that.

...I wonder if Lady Rozemyne is curious about Ferdinand's past partners?

Having moved to Alexandria, the only way to find out about Lady Rozemyne's current situation is through Lady Elvira. I was surprised that even after such a dramatic rescue and engagement, Lady Rozemyne still treats him like family and says she has no feelings for him. Leonore seems aware that he is the most important person to her, so she holds Cornelius back and keeps an eye on him. Lady Elvira boasts that even if Lady Rozemyne is not aware of her romantic feelings for him, "It's no problem, I'll write about it."

At Aurelia's suggestion, Philine took a sip of tea and exhaled.
"I don't think Damuel or Brigitte would be dishonest. As Lady Rozemyne's civil servant, I'm here for this story, so I won't let any personal feelings get in the way."

"That's right, it's the book Lady Rozemyne wanted."
Philine is a civil servant who collects stories widely, but like Lady Rozemyne, love stories are not a high priority, and she leaves it up to Lady Elvira. We must not forget that the book entrusted to us now is a book that Lady Rozemyne requested from Lady Elvira, with a specific subject specified by her.

◇

Lady Brigitte arrived on time, and Philine and I were able to exchange our first greetings. She is tall and well-trained like a knight, and although she has a headstrong air about her, her smile and greeting give the impression that she is a straightforward person.
Due to her young children, she is unable to visit the capital very often, but this year, a woman from a lower-ranking noble family who supports Gybe Illgner is being accompanied in the Star Knot, which is why she came to the capital.

Normally, we would receive an update on the situation, but since this was after a major battle, it seems that Brigitte is hesitant to ask Aurelia, who is from Ahrensbach, questions. When asked about Lady Rozemyne's recent situation, Philine and I explain.

"I have only seen her a few times since Lady Charlotte's unveiling. She was an outstanding person from the time of her baptism, but I never would have expected her to obtain Grutrissheit..."
She looks as if she can't keep up with her thoughts, but she chuckles happily at the idea of improving Ahrensbach into a library city.

"I'm glad that Lady Rozemyne didn't have to suppress her love of reading and that she was able to create the ideal environment for herself."

"Lady Brigitte, were you surprised by your engagement to Lord Ferdinand?"
I couldn't help but ask.

"I knew Lady Rozemyne after her baptism, so I didn't imagine anything like that at the time... Lady Rozemyne is much more mature and talented than her appearance and age would suggest, so if she has grown up to be a good match for her age, then she would be a good match. Lord Ferdinand must be used to the strange situations that Lady Rozemyne causes..."

"Has Lady Rozemyne been causing strange situations for such a long time?"
Philine tilted her head. Lady Brigitte blinked and seemed to think for a moment.
"Have you heard the legend of the 'Goddess's Baths' from Lady Rozemyne, Damuel, or anyone from the temple? "

Aurelia and I shook our heads, but Philine said softly, "Ah."
"Hartmut... I remember that a civil servant who was a great admirer of Lady Rozemyne had previously tried to find out more about it from someone at the temple. Also, among the stories I had collected, there was a legend about a spring named after the goddess of water, from which healing water springs forth, and Lady Rozemyne seemed to remember hearing that before."

"Respect is a useful word," I thought as I listened to the story. Lady Brigitte seemed to have focused on something else.
"Lady Rozemyne often spoke of wanting to train civil servants to develop the paper and printing industry and increase the number of books. That was Lady Philine, wasn't it?"
She seemed happy that Lady Rozemyne's wish from the past had come true. Her gentle smile seemed to ease Philine's tension a little.

"Yes, I am a civil servant who collects stories from all over the country and presents them to Lady Rozemyne."
"That's wonderful. The Goddess's Baths we talked about earlier actually exist, but I was sceptical at the time until I saw it for myself, so I'm impressed that Philine was able to collect the legends."

"Thank you very much. However, they are just legends, so I don't know if they are true or not."
"...If you ask Lady Rozemyne, I'm sure she'll tell you. I had a very strange experience there. I felt the presence of the gods up close... Thinking back on it now, there were also miracles that I can assume were only possible because Lady Rozemyne was there."

"That would... make Hartmut and the others happy."

...Maybe that's why they're ordering everyone to keep quiet?
The thought crossed my mind for a moment, but my liking for Lady Brigitte, who doesn't talk too much, won out.

Since Lady Rozemyne responded to Philine's story, I don't think it's completely hidden...

Then we chatted for a while.
Based on Elvira's notes, we also hear about Illgner's paper industry. The main force of Gutenberg moved to Alexandria accompanied Rozemyne, so the story of Illgner, who was the first to be dispatched by Gutenberg, was very interesting.

"Brigitte, this is what Elvira has asked you to confirm."
Brigitte looked somewhat nervous as she took the handwritten manuscript handed to her by Philine and began to look it over. She would occasionally purse her lips and nod as if to say "I see," which made us all feel even more nervous.

Elvira said that she had written it with his permission and based it on his testimony, but Aurelia was confused by the draft, which incorporated real battles that did not exist.
"You write it as if you saw it first-hand. Perhaps the knight accompanying Bonifatius told you about it."

After reading the manuscript, Brigitte said with a wry smile.
"I was only on guard in my armour and did not actually fight, but it was written as if I really did. Is it true that Lady Brigitte took part in the battle?" Lady Aurelia asks.

...I have heard that Lady Brigitte actually fought the enemy, but perhaps this story is an exaggeration.
As I am not a knight, I cannot judge whether this story is appropriate for describing the exploits of a female knight who had been away from training for two years due to giving birth.

"Yes. There are some things that are out of order, such as the fact that I reported the eyewitness testimony of a suspicious nobleman, but for the most part it is true. I found the enemy, reported it to the lord and the capital, and fought alongside the reinforcements led by Lord Bonifatius. This story has been rearranged to hide the teleportation formation at the lord's mansion and the presence of Lord Bonifatius."

Philine nods, and I will explain the plan for this book.
"If I were to write about the exploits of the men of the lord's family, the topic would inevitably turn to the battle for the foundation between Aube and his full sister, Georgine, and it would also be connected to the topic of who would be the next lord..."

It seems that this was a policy decided upon in discussions between Elvira, Florencia, and Charlotte. They also said that the battle between siblings would be too stimulating to compete with the story of Dunkelfelger's real Ditter and the love story between Rozemyne and Ferdinand. If it were to be arranged like that, I think I'd end up rereading Rozemyne's love story all the time.

"I'm concerned that there are a few too many enemies I actually killed and captured... but no, I can't write the facts as they are. It's not a lie, so I have no objection..."
"If you actually captured enemies, I don't think there's a problem..."

"Yes. However, in Illgner, we avoided one-on-one battles and fought in cooperation with each other, as instructed by the commander of the Gybe Knights, so I can't say that it was only my achievement... but I would be grateful if it would bring honour to Illgner and lead to increased paper sales."

"I'm sorry, Lady Brigitte. I refused to have military achievements that I did not have written down, so it has to be filled in by the achievements of others."
Aurelia looked pale, but Lady Brigitte shook her head.

"I have already told Lady Elvira's story, so it is not something you are concerned about, Lady Aurelia... how different was your case from reality?"
In response to Brigitte's question, Philine took out a copy of Lady Aurelia's story. There was a rejected version that emphasized the battle scenes, and a finished version that included a scene of preparations for the march in the synthesis room.

"If you read it as a knight's story, the rejected version is very appealing, but as a knight, it may be a little depressing to think that it never actually happened."
Brigitte commented after reading the two versions. Lady Aurelia nodded deeply.

"My mother-in-law came up with the first version so that I would be able to live an easier life in Ehrenfest from now on..." Lady Aurelia lowered both eyebrows apologetically. It must have taken courage to ask for a complete rewrite.

"Even if it's a love story with no battle scenes, it's a strange feeling to think that a story about someone who seems like me but isn't me will end up in the hands of so many people."
Brigitte seemed to be pondering what to do.

"In my case, it's mostly true, so I feel bad about asking for a rewrite... but what do you two civil servants think?"
As Brigitte turned her gaze to me, Philine and I exchanged looks.

"It's a little outside of my specialty, so I'd like to hear your opinion as you collect a variety of stories."
"Muriella is too biased towards love stories."

"Oh, you've been dealing with mythology lately, haven't you?"
"Isn't that a love story between Rozemyne and Ferdinand in the name of mythology?"

Philine puffed out her cheeks a little. Lady Brigitte's eyes widened in confusion, but when I told her I was referring to "A Love Story of the Gods," the book I most highly recommend this year, she nodded, though confused. Lady Rürradi must have had the blessing of Seeevait. Miraculously, this story was created before reality was ready.

Philine flipped through the manuscript of Lady Brigitte's story and laid out the final few pages on the desk.
"If your concern is that the results of the battle are exaggerated, then instead of correcting the numbers... how about ending the story here, when the reinforcements arrive?"

"Yes, that would be easier to explain to the people of Illgner, since we headed to the battlefield together after joining up with Bonifatius and his men, but wouldn't that make the story less exciting?"
"We could make that up by making the battle scene before the reinforcements join up more exciting. Ending the story in this way, which allows the reader to imagine the ending, is also one way of telling a story."

The discussion was settled with Philine’s proposal, and Brigitte began to look over Aurelia's second story proposal again. Perhaps because Brigitte has a small child, her eyes are a little red. She must be a wonderful mother to her child. Philine and I record the summary of our discussion.
Perhaps because of Elvira's influence, Aurelia seems to be interested in civil service work, and occasionally looks at us with amusement.

"Lady Brigitte, I heard that most of this story is true, but was that also the case with the exchange before the battle?"
After a moment of silence, Lady Aurelia spoke.

Lady Brigitte blinked.
"You mean the exchange between you and your husband before the battle?"

"Yes, well, as a knight, it got me thinking. In both stories and in reality, the people of Illgner seem to get along well and support each other, so rather than doing nothing and being sent back to my parents' home, I had no choice but to struggle here. I was saved when Lady Rozemyne dropped the liability for association, but..."
What Lady Aurelia said was true. Lady Brigitte seemed a little taken aback, but nodded, "It's true that Lady Rozemyne's proposal eliminated the liability for association in Ehrenfest, but that's not the case in other territories."

I kept my mouth shut and watched the two of them talk. Philine was in the same position. Unlike my parents, I've heard that Philine's mother was someone who truly loved her children. I don't believe in family, so I think Philine can empathize more with the feelings of mothers who went to the battlefield prepared to leave their children behind...
Lady Brigitte thought for a while, then said, "Both were frightening."

"I really do love and cherish my child. But even so, at that time I wanted to lead the charge as a knight for Ilkner. Our fighting force was small, so the work of each individual was important, and whether or not the knights of the Giebe clan participated in the battle would affect morale. It was also important that I had many trustworthy adults, including my husband, mother, brother, and his wife. I chose what was best at the time to protect the Giebe territory, including my child. I'm sure Lady Aurelia made the same decision."

"As for me..."
"Whether to hide with my child or take up the sword, there is no single right answer." Lady Aurelia let out a sigh of relief and clasped her hands in front of her chest. Not only did reading a story save someone, but weaving one. Lady Rozemyne and Lady Elvira's insight was wonderful, and Philine and I exchanged glances.

Chapter Text

"May Angriff, the god of valor, bless Lady Victoria and her attendants."

In a corner of a mansion near the castle in a corner of the noble district, Anneliese was praying with her colleague Roderica. The god of bravery, the goddess of gale and flying faith, the goddess of thunder and healing, the goddess of order and advice, and the goddess of purification. From time to time, they clutched magic stones engraved with the symbols of the gods and prayed for the protection of their master and his companions as they fought in faraway lands.

The two looked up after finishing their prayers.
They were attendants. As they lacked the strength to fight alone, they were tasked with channeling magical power into the defensive magical tools at her mansion - a mansion she inherited from her master and guardian - when her master, Victoria, goes out to battle.

Before she departed, Victoria had suggested that the attendants and civil servants she was leaving behind wait in the safety of a detached building in the north. In fact, some of them remained in the castle to help out. But the two chose this mansion, which was filled with things important to their master and where they had greater freedom of movement.

"Roderica, did you sleep well?"
Looking up at the faintly crimson-tinted morning sky from the window, Anneliese asked the apprentice attendant.

Roderica shook her head quietly and said, "No way."
"Lady Victoria is fighting, so she can't sleep well."

"What will we do when Lady Victoria returns if we can't take care of her?"
"Can you fall asleep easily, Anneliese?"

"I was on duty all night."
The premise is different, said Roderica, looking a little annoyed. After eating the breakfast she had prepared the day before, she sent Roderica off to the castle to gather information.

The butlers and servants who maintain the mansion gathered, and the mansion returned to its usual appearance.
I heard that the castle was in a state of tension after an invasion from another territory was confirmed on the border and there was fighting between knights. But inside the mansion, it was peaceful and normal. The master is holed up in his huge study, and she has the misconception that he will be called upon soon. Normally, the weak and weak master should be protected from the rear. Whether he wants to do that is another matter.

"Lady Victoria and her companions are heading to the border gate from the capital overland."
While she was working on her embroidery, Roderica returned from the castle. Anneliese breathed a sigh of relief after hearing the information she had received from her aides at the castle. She was puzzled by the fact that the master was traveling overland instead of through the border gate that he had originally used.

"Does that mean they are joining the southern front line?"
"Yes, they are planning to join the southern front as reinforcements."

"The enemy in the south is probably a diversion, but they are having a hard time because they are appearing across multiple Giebe territories. It's already difficult to see the borders in that area because of the mountains and forests."
Julianne, the guard knight apprentice who accompanied Roderica, answered cheerfully to her explanation. Her far-sighted eyes and unparalleled throwing accuracy make her the best of Victoria's guardian knights, but as is customary, she was left behind because she was underage.

"They must have already taken the foundations of the great territory and defeated the invaders. I hope they don't do anything reckless..."

"If they heard that the knights were fighting to protect the territory, without regard for the danger to their lives, they would have no choice but to go. Even a single blessing from Lady Victoria would tip the balance of the battlefield..."

Victoria, the lord candidate they could use, is a very talented girl who studied as a lord candidate while also completing the civil servant course and understanding the knight course in classroom studies. However, she is a little weak and has no practical experience as a knight. Nevertheless, she heads to the battlefield because of her abundant magical power and her temperament, which does not approve of being simply protected. Although she is worried about her fatigue, Victoria has rescued her master and is accompanying him. Hearing this, Anneliese's anxiety was dramatically alleviated. Since being separated from her teacher, Victoria's dejectedness was so great that all her aides were heartbroken.

"Everyone is keeping a close watch on Lady Victoria. Both Alexia and Liopolda are doing their best."
I wish I could go along with her, Julianne said, slumping her shoulders. Hearing her sister's name, Anneliese's lips softened. She instinctively embraced the soon-to-be-completed embroidery of the magic circle.

"What is that embroidery, Anneliese?"
"It's a healing magic circle. Lady Victoria came up with the idea that if a cloth with a magic circle on it was used to stop bleeding when immediate healing wasn't possible, the healing would be more effective afterwards. I've given some to everyone who went out."

"Now that I think about it, you said it was for next year's research."
Julianne nodded in understanding. It doesn't matter how many there are, so since Anneliese moved to this mansion, she has been devoting her free time to this embroidery, whether it be waiting for her to recover between synthesis or any other small moments of free time.

"You should take it too, Julianne. You'll be guarding the capital city, right?"
"Are you sure? I was told to cover my mouth to protect myself from magical items, so I'll try that."

"Since we can't find the leader of the enemy, there may be a battle in the capital city. If anything were to happen to you, Lady Victoria and her aides would be sad. Could you please deliver it to everyone at the temple?"
"Thank you very much. I will deliver it. Even so, even though I'm the eldest daughter, when I'm with everyone I feel like a younger sister and it's a bit embarrassing."

Julianne chuckled, finished the tea Roderica had made for her, and left the mansion. In addition to the northern annex, Victoria is a rare lord candidate who has private rooms in her childhood home and the temple. Last year, the civil servant who supports the lord candidate, who was appointed as Victoria's next temple chief, and the civil servant who is serving as the orphanage director in Victoria's place, travel back and forth between the castle and the temple in this state of alert.

Anneliese finished creating a magic circle, left it to Roderica, and went down to the guest room and got into bed.
"May the goddess of longevity, Daoalleben, bless you, Lady Victoria. May the goddess of good fortune, Griefechan, bless Alexia..."
She prayed for her master's health and longevity, and quietly prayed for her sister's good fortune.

An attendant is someone who accompanies their master wherever they go. If they take up a castle, they must ensure that all the nobles who visit do not despise the territory and the lord, and if they take up the position of a single lord, they must protect his heart and support him in living a comfortable life.

In particular, female attendants are essential for high-ranking noblewomen to maintain their dignity, and sometimes they accompany them on marriages, acting as their closest shield to protect them. Born as the eldest daughter of a line of attendants for generations, Anneliese was taught this by her parents and other adults, and steadily developed her skills as an attendant.

During her childhood, the Shield Territory was plagued by factional disputes, but her family, which remained neutral and had many attendants, was relatively peaceful. Rather than the bloody stories of adults she didn't know, she remembers more clearly the commotion of the day her younger sister, who she had tried to train as an attendant herself, naturally aspired to become a knight.

To be honest, her younger sister was not very suited to being an attendant, and she was not good at classroom studies either. Being a knight was her calling, and it more than made up for those shortcomings.
Her small and slender sister was able to toy with knights twice her size with her speed, and said that she didn't need to surpass them in every way, and even when she had to use force, she focused on strengthening her body in only the necessary areas. Her appearance destroyed all the opposition from Anneliese and the rest of the family.

Although she was a mid-ranking noble, she was selected for the Sword Dance at the Noble House, and was treated as a key member of the escort knights alongside Victoria's youngest brother, a senior knight. She was a good master and servant to Victoria, and was desired by the head of the family, and became the fiance of Victoria's eldest brother, Ewald. The engagement was broken off when Ewald accompanied Victoria's teacher to her engagement, which was tantamount to sending her to a place of death...

"...I'm sure she'll be fighting alongside Ewald again."
The more she thought about sleeping, the more it seemed that Schlatraum's invitation was getting further away. Still, since she had boasted to Roderica, she couldn't show signs of lack of sleep. Determined to at least rest, Anneliese closed her eyes and rested her head on the pillow.

◇

"So I'll be fighting against Lord Ewald again," Anneliese called out to her sister, who was preparing for battle.
"Yes, it's been a while, so I'm excited. I'll definitely complete my mission."

Normal people might call her emotionless, but her sister's frank words were comforting to her now. She knew that her sister's engagement was due to political strategy, not love, but the two of them, who both prioritize protecting their masters above all else, seemed to make a surprisingly good couple.

Alexia had openly declared that she wanted to serve as an escort knight for as long as possible, preferably until her master came of age, and was a girl who had no interest in marriage and only desired to become strong. Anneliese was also made to worry many times. So Anneliese was truly relieved that her fiancé had listened to her younger sister's comments about her marriage and work, and understood her desire to be the Lord's knight for a long time.

Anneliese reached over to her younger sister's back and adjusted her cloak. Her eyes burned as she looked at the embroidery her younger sister had worked so hard on in order to strengthen her. Just as she was preparing to hand over the magic circle handkerchief, her younger sister spoke.
"Onee-sama, in the event of an emergency, you should use my magic stone yourself."

"What are you talking about?"
Anneliese couldn't help but raise her voice at the content of the message, which was told to her in a tone no different from a normal business call.

"I was taught to tell you about the time when the Knights were unable to return home... but, Onee-sama, we developed our magical powers to the point that our parents were troubled, so even if we inherited our ancestors' magic stones, we wouldn't be happy with a child's magical tool, right?"
"That's... true."

The sisters were proud of their magical powers, which were enough to allow them to marry into higher-ranking noble families despite being mid-ranking nobles, and made their parents have a hard time finding them a husband. All of Victoria's ancestors were like that. They all grew in strength rapidly, not to make up the numbers, but out of the joy of serving their master, who was wanted by them individually.

The more they grew in strength, the further they became from their parents and other ancestors. Alexia was right.
But right now, she didn't want to hear words that reminded them of defeat or death in battle from her, who was their main fighting force.

"If I die, please have your sister and her child protect Lady Victoria."
"...I'm assuming that Lady Victoria is safe, right?"
"That's the role of an escort knight."
"...It can't be helped, child."

Faced with her desire to protect her master, Anneliese had no choice but to nod.
"No, you have to come back properly and..."

After that, I must go with Lord Ewald to gather for you. I will pray for the protection of the fire god's family and heal you when we're done. For our lord, we must live and improve our strength.

"Just like you were blessed by the goddess of healing, my sister?"

"Just like you were blessed by the god of guidance." Anneliese lowered her eyes once and gently pushed the handkerchief she had taken out to her younger sister.

"I can't make amulets as skilfully as civil servants, so at least embroider one. I don't know any knights who have trained as sincerely as you in pursuit of strength. I believe that your efforts will bring you and your lord back alive."

Chapter Text

"There are more people than yesterday, let's hurry."

Even though it was before the social period, the area near the central building was unnaturally crowded.

"If we're late, the lord will scold us," I said to Judith as we walked faster so that the other territories who saw our Ehrenfest cloaks and wanted to talk to us could hear.

I'm sure that both Aub Ehrenfest and Aub Alexandria will understand that we have been involved with other territories for the purpose of gathering information in this abnormal situation, but... no, Lady Rozemyne is not here. Last year, she disappeared for a long time while supplying magical power at the library, and returned after growing up, but this year she is absent due to a summons from the goddess of time, Dregarnuhr. Since it's Lady Rozemyne, I'm not surprised now...

In the Alexandria tea party room, Lieseleta was waiting. Dressed in Alexandria uniform and wearing a scarf the same color as Lady Rozemyne's hair, Lieselotte somehow looks very mature. I'm underage so I couldn't attend, but she was chosen as the only attendant to enter Lady Rozemyne's inauguration ceremony with her.

Even though I can also transfer to Alexandria, the backs of the adult attendants seem far away.
"Philine, Judith. Thank you for coming."
"No, Lieselotte is probably much busier than us."

Judith relays the information from Lord Ehrenfest and Brunhilde to Lieselotte, who smiles wryly. Alexandria is busy keeping an eye on the territory and the dormitory, and seems to be having a bit of trouble gathering information on the noble house level. I was pleased to see the consideration of the territory's leaders.

Although the Lieselotte is acting strong, when she heard the testimony that "Lady Rozemyne travelled through time to the past," her eyes widened in shock.
It sounds like a very absurd story, but in Ehrenfest, several people suddenly had memories of seeing Lady Rozemyne wearing a cloak of a color they didn't recognize about twenty years ago, which now seems to be the color of Alexandria.

"Those whose memories have been restored seem to be concentrated in those related to the previous Lord, Lord Bonifatius, and Lady Irmhilde, the lord candidate."

"There is also the effect of the purge, but no nobles whose memories have been restored on Lady Veronica's side have been found."

To be honest, if it wasn't related to Lady Rozemyne, I would be sceptical, but with Lady Rozemyne, I think it's possible. Lieselotte regained her composure and nodded deeply.
"We received testimony from Dunkelfelger and Klassenburg that Rozemyne appeared in the past."

"Aside from Dunkelfelger, was it from Klassenburg too?"

"Yes, to be precise, it was from a former Central noble who worked at the royal palace at the time, but retired and returned to his territory."

Hannelore, who was descended from the Goddess of Time, has woken up from her slumber in Jureve and returned to her classes, and is supporting Alexandria in terms of information. Apparently, the information about Klassenburg also came via Hannelore, not Zent.

"When Rozemyne returns, she will surely be heaping gratitude on Hannelore."
She must have remembered the support supplies Rozemyne sent to Ferdinand during her time in Ahrensbach. Judith nodded with confidence. I agree.

"Lady Jeanciane of Klassenburg was unable to join the librarian committee last year due to Lady Rozemyne's absence. As the third wife's child, she should not have been involved in the struggle for the next lord, but her position may have changed with the arrival of the new Schtappe generation."
Information about the new Schtappe generation seems to be Letizia's specialty. Melchior is planning on entering Ehrenfest next year, so I'll have to share this with Lady Charlotte when I get back.

The topic of Hannelore receiving a flood of marriage proposals was brought up, and Charlotte was advised to be careful, so the information sharing came to an end. Next up is her job as a civil servant in the printing industry.
"Lieseleta, this is the manuscript that Lady Elvira asked me to review. She wants you to review it, including the description of Angelica, and let her know if there are any parts that need to be revised or added."

"I understand." Lieseleta reached out to the manuscript with a wry smile, then lowered her gaze.
"I'm in it too," Judith added with amusement.

This time, Lieseleta was asked to review the manuscript for a new book that Lady Elvira has been working on since spring, at Lady Rozemyne's suggestion. It contains several stories aimed at spreading the word about the defense of Ehrenfest, without touching on the core issue of the battle for the foundation between the siblings and changing the impression of Lady Aurelia's features. As it is set in an era when a female Zent was established through the incarnation of the goddess, the main characters are limited to women. It doesn't have a title yet, and is called the Book of the Defense.

"Lady Rozemyne said that she doesn't write stories herself, but when it comes to suggestions, she really has a wide variety of ideas." Lieseleta sighed as she looked over the manuscript.

"This is the book that Lady Rozemyne came up with with Lady Elvira while she was visiting the Linkberg family home."

"Yes, it seems they decided on it when they were just the two of them talking. Muriella told me."
I replied after Lieseleta confirmed. At the time, the group transferring to Alexandria was really busy with the move.

This story was apparently conceived on the night that Lady Rozemyne stayed overnight at the Linkberg family home to prepare for the move. As a civil servant who collects stories, I regret that I wasn't there to witness it, but it was probably because it was just the two of them that Lady Rozemyne was able to talk freely about her ideas. It's very typical of Lady Rozemyne and Lady Elvira to come up with a story that had never been told before together as a mother and daughter.

Even though they've left their territory, the two of them are able to connect and support each other through stories, which I find very dazzling. Although Elvira is dying to write a love story between Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand, it worries me that she seems a little resistant... but for now I'll let it slide as Elvira is mixing little bits of it into our story to distract her.

"I thought that Lady Rozemyne would appear in the battle scenes, so this was a bit of a surprise." Lieselotte quietly closes the manuscript and shares her thoughts.

"If I write only about battle scenes, it will become a knight's tale, so I plan to stick to Lady Brigitte's story."
"I see, but I'm sure the real Ditter will write about your battles, so I don't mind. As long as Lady Rozemyne is happy with the new book, she won't have any complaints."

"Anything else?"
As you would expect from a well-trained attendant, Lieselotte has a strong defense. He has never been the subject of Lady Elvira's love story, but unlike Lady Aurelia, who was shaken by the first time, he doesn't blurt out his thoughts.

"...I was a bit surprised to find out that I'm now the older sister. It's a strange feeling. But we're going to change our names soon, so it shouldn't be a problem once they're changed."
"Do you want us to restore the relationship between the sisters?"
"No, I think it's better to have a lot of things changed from reality. I'm fine with it the way it is."

"Are you sure about the content? Honestly, it's quite... delicate, I guess. We're talking about life and death, so it's bothering me a bit."
In the story, there's a scene where the younger sister, a knight about to march out to battle, talks to her older sister about what will happen after she rises to a higher position. I thought that this was a topic that Lady Rozemyne sometimes refers to as "delicate" and that she must be careful about.

"No, it's fine as it is. We didn't actually have this conversation, but that's because we didn't have time. As a knight and attendant, we have come close to having similar conversations, and there may be occasions in the future where we exchange the exact same words." Lieselotte narrowed her eyes, which were shaped just like Angelica's, and laughed gently as always.

"Also, when I decided to accompany Lady Rozemyne, Lady Elvira praised me for my magical power, my studies in medicine, and my loyalty. If you change medicine to martial arts, you're the same. I'm glad you took that into consideration."

I lowered my eyes to the writing on the tablet. There was just one last thing to confirm and take home. "So, this is what I'll tell Lady Elvira. What do you want to name the characters? We can think of something."
This was also Lady Rozemyne's idea, and she could give the characters their own names if she wanted.

"You'll have to use a false name, so I thought of one for myself too." Judith puffs out her chest.
She's a knight who stayed in Ehrenfest during the battle, and she also played an active role in the temple battle. Information about the importance of the temple is handled with care, so her accomplishments were somewhat concealed, but Judith still seems satisfied. She's happy to appear as Lady Rozemyne's knight, not in a love story.

...Looking at Leonore's confusion, it's a bit of a burden to become a character in a love story, even if it's just for once.
"Judith, you don't need a false name, you need a different name to treat the girls in this story as fictional characters."

"Don't worry, I've thought of one for me and my sister."
Lieseleta seemed to have thought about it, and immediately came up with ideas for both of them. Angelica chose "Alexia," which was apparently one of Angelica and Lieseleta's name candidates. Lieselotte requested the name "Anneliese", which has the same initials as Angelica. It was chosen because it was not the same as any other name given to anyone else.

"Lady Rozemyne previously mentioned that it would be easier to distinguish between parents, children, or sisters if their names had something in common... and while that custom doesn't exist in Ehrenfest, this is a fictional story, so I decided to make the initials the same as her sister's."

"I sometimes hear about names being named after ancestors, but I don't hear much about parents, children, or siblings making names that look alike. But having the same initials is a nice idea."
Lady Rozemyne is well acquainted with cultures outside the territory and of the past, so it may be that such a custom existed in some territory in the past.

"Judith and Philine will also appear, right? How did you decide on the names?"
"Muriella and I are in Aurelia's story as civil servants of the Commander of the Knights."

"You said that the temple won't be mentioned much, so I won't be appearing as the orphanage director."
"Yes, that's how it is."

Muriella and I will also appear in Elvira and Aurelia's story, mixing our names and making the initials the same.
This is also a wonderful story of step-daughters.

"I couldn't think of anything, so I looked at the family tree and chose a name that didn't overlap with anyone I know. Elvira and Aurelia also have the initials of their own names and the characters, so I followed that. But Philine pointed out that it overlapped with the first wife of Damuel's brother."
Judith chuckled as she told the story. That's right. The name that Judith chose from the family tree was the same as that of Julianne, the first wife of Damuel's older brother, Henrik.

Judith is graduating this year. The move to Alexandria was prompted by Rozemyne's absence.
Although she hasn't said it yet, she probably won't be moving. She went back to her hometown the other day, and since she had a chance to look at the family tree, she must have spoken with her family about marriage and home.

"The name of the person who will be her sister-in-law popped out right away. I'm glad to hear that things are going well with Damuel's family."
"Judith...! But you should be able to pop out the names of the heads of the families and their first wives of your close associates right away. As Lady Rozemyne's civil servant, I know everyone well."

"That's true. When Lady Rozemyne was scheduled to meet with Gybe Illgner and Lord Henrik, she was so conscientious that she called our parents to say hello to my sister's family."
"My parents were trembling, thinking that my sister had done something," Lieselotte said with a wry smile. Meetings with the parents of the close associates were not a regular occurrence, but I think this is typical of Lady Rozemyne.

I also argued with Judith, holding back my slightly red cheeks. "Yes, we can't send an invitation if we don't know his name."

"But when we were appointed to Lady Rozemyne's entourage, Damuel was already an adult, right?"

We all nodded in agreement. When Damuel visited the children's room as Lady Rozemyne's guardian, he seemed much older and more reliable.

"Unlike us, there is no talk of parental permission, so it's no wonder that the name of your brother's first wife doesn't come up. It's certainly better to remember it. Besides, the names in the story are meant to make the characters appear fictional, so it's just to show their physical age, right?"

At the Lieselotte's admonition, we all nodded in agreement.
"I'm glad that Philine is welcomed by Damuel's family."

"Even Lieseleta, please stop teasing me!" My face was hot, and I couldn't really taste the tea Lieseleta had made for me. Judith laughed in a troubled voice.

"If it bothers you, should I change the name after all?"
"No, Judith chose it, so it's fine as it is. Making more than necessary corrections will lead to typographical errors."

Lady Rozemyne said that incorrect placement of type is not called a typographical error, but a misprint. Lady Elvira was influenced by new stories such as the Ditter tales this time, and struggled to establish a style that would also restrain the expression of the gods.
The fewer corrections there are, the better. "I understand," Judith nodded, and continued as if she had remembered something.

"Now that I think of it, can't we at least mention Leonore by name in the story of Angelica and Lieselotte?"
"Why not?"

"Isn't it sad that Lady Rozemyne's entourage isn't all there? Gretia isn't there either..."
"Just like merging myself and Muriella into one person, it's better not to match reality..."
"I want everyone to go out together, and I could go on and on about it, but... wouldn't it be better if Philine went out as the orphanage director?"

I said I'd at least try to suggest it, and took it home, but I never got the chance. Lady Rozemyne was eager to read it after returning from the summons of the gods, so the manuscript "I confirmed it and contacted Lady Elvira" that Lieselotte had in her hands was sent to Lady Rozemyne under the pretext of "related to another territory and urgent".

Lady Rozemyne requested that "the people who attended the Noble Academy together, regardless of the adults who are in factions, should at least be included in the story," and so I, as the anonymous orphanage director, and Leonore and Gretia, as people who were there, were included in the story.

Chapter Text

"Lady Claudia, these are the items requested until yesterday. We will start today's part now. Thank you for increasing the number of senior civil servants."

"Thank you very much. Thanks to everyone, we have no shortage of supplies on the southern front and along the highway to the defense of the capital, so we look forward to your continued support today."

Claudia's aides move the neatly packed magical tools and recovery potions into a wagon. One of the attendants handed the representative of the civil officials a basket filled with food.

"Even though I call it food, it's not the salty kind that you have to soak in hot water. It's hard, but I think you could call it sweet."

"Oh, so you know what food tastes like, Lady Claudia?"

Seeing the surprised look from the civil official, Claudia proudly replied, "Of course." Her attitude towards a female lord candidate who hadn't received the same training as the knights seemed to soften a little.

"I tried eating it as part of my preparations for the battle. It's fine if it's just for a short while, but it's tough to continue for a long time."

"That's true. Well, even though in peacetime the civil officials would have made do with rations and focused on their research, it seems like they're not eating as well as they used to. Thank you for your consideration."

The civil official, who was closer to my grandfather's age than my father's, nodded several times and praised Claudia's growth and composure. There was an indescribable sense of relief in the voice praising her mother's appearance as she grew older. "The specialist course has begun at the Noble Academy," Claudia replied, before leaving the room for her next destination.
"Please give Beatrix a head start."

"Are you sending her out on your own, Lady Claudia?"
"Yes, I'm on patrol. This is the only time I can move around like this, as I will be stationed in my office soon. Take this opportunity to learn as much as you can," she assured the questioning civil servant trainee.
"Besides, isn't it natural for me to show my gratitude to Beatrix? I am the one who is in charge of the food and medical system."
"Yes," her aides bowed.
"Lady Claudia, you seem to be a lot more active since you changed into your beast mount."

"I don't think you've changed much though..."

Since Victoria went to war, many of the women working at the castle have been encouraged to wear beast mount suits. Except for those who have very inward-looking jobs, that is, the women Claudia meets as she travels around the castle providing logistical support, are almost all wearing beast mount suits.

"Doesn't it feel strange to think that you can move around on your beast mount at any time?"

"My mount is a mount-type, so I'm not used to the habit of wearing a beast mount suit just to ride it."

I see, the people around her look convinced. Claudia loves the mount-type beast invented by her sister Victoria. The only times she had to go to the trouble of changing into a beast mount suit to ride it were when she first started training and during her lectures at the Noble Academy. When I first made the mountable beast, I was impressed by the convenience of being able to move around while being protected from attacks and changes in temperature, and the efficiency of not having to change clothes.

"If anything, it would be strange to see everyone in mount suits, including the generation that used traditional mounts."

Although the light clothing is helpful, this battle has made the appearance of women in mount suits more strongly associated with emergencies in this castle. Many nobles look at the sight of attendants and civil servants going around in mount suits instead of their regular uniforms with pitiful eyes. We must quickly return to our previous lives. Claudia's resolve deepened in her heart.

"Well, I never expected that Lady Claudia would come all the way to the kitchen... The Ordnance will arrive, so please call me."

Beatrix, who was giving instructions to the chef and the civil servant in charge of the warehouse in the kitchen, frowned in confusion when she saw Claudia and her group. She only just became an adult the other day, so she has her hair up, but her beast riding uniform is the same as when she was in the aristocratic academy.

"No change from yesterday. We've increased the number of civil servants, so we should be able to increase the number of magic tools and healing potions a little. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Beatrix is the daughter of an earl, a branch of the lord's family, and a senior attendant. She was welcomed as the current Aub's second wife-to-be fiancée, due to her social skills that helped cheer up Victoria.

"There are no particular problems. It's like an extension of my work as an attendant, and the aide candidates and the castle's civil servants are also very cooperative. It's all thanks to the help of Florentina and Claudia."

"As Aub's fiancée, you are in charge of the work that would normally be done by the first wife of the Aub, and both mother and I will do our best to help you."

This is undoubtedly Claudia's true feelings, but at the same time, it's a conversation to be heard by the aides and the surrounding nobles. Claudia thought for a moment, then took out a magical device to prevent eavesdropping and handed it to Beatrix. She nodded to her aides and everyone else left the place, leaving the two of them behind. Beatrix nodded once and took the magical device.
"I really wanted to tell you directly about the state of the war and Mother's placement."

Beatrix blinked her brown eyes, like well-brewed tea, as she listened to Claudia. Having just graduated, Beatrix had not yet moved to the castle and only aides had been officially hired. Though officially the Aube's fiancée, she was still only a senior attendant to Victoria, and like the other attendants, she could not accompany Victoria and her party when they invaded other territories.

"I heard about Lady Victoria's victory, but I didn't expect her to join the south as reinforcements..."
"You also have relatives in the south, right, right? Beatrix."
"Yes, it doesn't border the border... and besides, the farmland in the south is the food storehouse for this territory, so it would be best if it wasn't affected by the flames of war. However, knowing Lady Victoria, she may use another unexpected tactic to wipe out the enemy. I'll be more than happy to help with healing afterwards."

Clasping her hands and rejoicing that her master was safe, Beatrix had reverted to the face of Victoria's attendant from her days at the Noble Academy. "That seems possible for Onee-sama."
"Isn't Siegfried-sama with you? You both have the most magical power and talent of your grade, and when you get together things just get bigger."
"It's strange, isn't it, considering neither Onee-sama nor Siegfried-sama like to cause trouble."

"Yes, Victoria-sama has dropped the foundation and rescued Master, and saved the territory over there from the invaders. It's a victory that leaves nothing to be desired."
Claudia felt encouraged, thinking that it was her turn next, and suddenly looked up.
"Next, it will be Claudia's turn to take charge of the lord's office as the next lord."

"That is if the enemy reaches the capital and the lord is holed up among the foundations. Beatrix, do you think that will happen?"

"Yes, despite all the turmoil, the southern front line is sticking to the border and suspicious people are occasionally spotted closer to the capital or on the roads. This is an intolerable territory that is using the advantage of the only open border gate to attract attention, so it will be inevitable that they will slip through our guard and reach the capital."

Rather than the difference in ability, Beatrix says that she is frightened by the way they are, abandoning their pride as nobles of this country, their shame and reputation, and the people of their territory that they should be responsible for, and cooperating with the invaders. "Lady Victoria sometimes surprises everyone with ideas that no one would think of, right? Lady Victoria is very merciful, has a kind heart, and respects the interests of those involved and the territory, so in the end, profit wins out. But the other side may do something wicked that we cannot imagine, in a different way to Lady Victoria."

"So you're saying they might fight with wicked, unbecoming ideas that are backed by malice."
"Yes, even an attendant like me can imagine it, so I'm sure the Lord and the Knights have already taken measures..."
"That was very helpful to me. Thank you."
"No, so can you tell me about Lady Florentina?"

Claudia smiled in relief, and immediately tightened her still childlike profile. "Before Mother spoke... I advised Aube that you should be able to escape if the situation were to worsen. I also got him to promise to prepare a written cancellation of the engagement as insurance."
Claudia straightened her back and looked at Beatrix with a serious gaze. Beatrix slowly shook her head.
"Is it what the Aube and First Lady, Claudia, want for me to cancel our engagement?"

"I believe that is a way to increase your chances of survival in the event of an emergency. Your help is already essential, but you are in a position to do both, which is a different story."
"I appreciate your concern, but..."

Beatrix dropped her gaze and stared at the anti-eavesdropping magic device in her hand. Then she grabbed both of Claudia's hands, along with the magic device. "I didn't receive training for a lord candidate, but I understand very well that there is no escape if the foundation is grasped. I also know very well that even an engagement can have consequences." "But Beatrix doesn't have the blood of that territory." Beatrix frowned, as if faced with a difficult exam question or Victoria's innovative idea. For the two of them, who are the next generation and will give birth to and raise the next generation, the blood ties between the Great Dark Territory and the lord family of this land are a difficult problem. The bloodline of the tragic princess who forcibly married into this land from the Great Dark Territory and caused chaos decades ago still lives in this land. Claudia is the granddaughter of the tragic princess's daughter, Arendla, but her grandmother was a mysterious person who always made nasty remarks about others and made no secret of her disposition that she would not be satisfied unless she destroyed the people she didn't like, including their families. Claudia grew up witnessing her mother's hardships, and now she is grateful that her grandmother thought she was an unworthy granddaughter because she resembled her mother. If she had been even the slightest bit of her grandmother's favorite, she would not have been allowed to take on the role of next lord in this battle.

On the other hand, Beatrix was born into a family that should have been direct descendants of the lord's family. The Earl's family, whose ancestor was a lord candidate whose position as next lord and all his efforts up to that point were for naught because he was favored by the Tragic Princess, continues to exist without inheriting the blood of the Tragic Princess.

The full extent of the battle that spans several territories is still unknown. This is because Victoria and others have reported that the Great Dark Territory has sent knights to the center, aiming for the king as well.
If that territory wins and their invasion is justified, Claudia and her family will be executed as members of the lord's family. However, if the King's side wins and the land is destroyed, there is no guarantee that the relentless purge that only traces bloodlines will not reach Claudia and her friends.

"Lady Claudia, please look forward. You have considered the worst case scenario and are willing to sacrifice your life to save as many people as possible. You are more worthy than anyone to be the next lord of this land. Could you do the same for your great-grandmother and grandmother, whom you shun? Of course not."
The slightly casual tone of her voice recalled her time at the Noble Academy, when she had been busy dealing with the turmoil caused by Victoria. Claudia took a couple of deep breaths, then exhaled, before turning to face Beatrix. Beatrix also relaxed her lips in relief at the brief mention of her time at the Noble Academy.

"Huh? Well, let me say this as Lady Victoria's attendant. To me, Lady Claudia is the child of Aube and Lady Florentina, and is Lady Victoria's precious younger sister. I don't see any trace of the older generation in you."
"I am happiest being called Lady Victoria's younger sister."

"Then you should be proud of that. You can choose for yourself."
"For yourself..."
Claudia blinked her deep blue eyes and repeated, "I choose for myself."
"Thank you, as expected of an attendant to Onee-sama."

"That's the best compliment... Lady Claudia, I didn't aim to be an attendant from the beginning."

"Really?"

"Yes, I became an attendant to give me the option to escape to the center, but now I think it's my calling."

"To get away from Grandmother, right... If that's the case, then I can't bear to see Beatrix get dragged into this while still in her fiancee's position. There have been many marriage offers from other territories, haven't there?"

It wasn't the first time Claudia had heard of a noble who wanted to go to the center to escape the malice of her grandmother Arendra, but it was the first time she had heard it directly from her. With her grandmother's power weakened, she had predicted that many promising young nobles who had chosen to be an attendant to a lord candidate rather than go to the center would gather around her sister, and this turned out to be a perfect prediction.

"Yes, there were many good marriage proposals. But I am here because I chose to. There are also my mother and sister... and it is because Aube wished for me to be here."
"Your father?"

"Yes. I respect Aube for not being swayed by blood ties and for the sake of his child, for the sake of a wife desired by a higher territory, and for doing what he wanted as an Aube, rather than my father who thought that a child of his own blood should do what he wanted. Aube did not see me as just a convenient daughter because of my bloodline and age, but as an aristocrat who worked hard for his lord and his territory, and he wanted me to be the Goddess of Water."
"... I don't think that's what Father is saying. I hope Beatrix is convinced. "

"I'm sure there are some sides to her that she only shows to her own daughter, Claudia... There will be as many opinions as there are people, but as a leader I think she is a tolerant person, and I like her as a person. When I see Victoria's rapid progress, which has brought great benefits and upheavals, I am impressed by the greatness of the Aube who gave permission despite what was happening right in front of her eyes. If we praise the power of the Goddess of Wisdom, we must not ignore the achievements of the many affiliated gods who protected and raised her."

"If you say that if you had been the adopted daughter of another Aube, the project would not have progressed this far, I agree."
Although her return is uncertain, a smile softly forms on Claudia's lips as she thinks of her sister's success.

"That's right, Lady Claudia. This land is no longer a place where the progenitor of Kao Saifa who came from the Great Domain of Darkness, or Lady Arendra who takes pride in his blood, run rampant as they please. This is the land of the Wind Goddess who protected and raised the Goddess of Wisdom, and everyone is fighting to push back the cruelty of that land. Lady Claudia and her people are at the center of this."
"Yes, this is probably something I can do because I was shunned by Grandmother and did not follow her ways."

"Well, I am confident that I have been trained by Lady Arendra's behavior. I have become good at how to recover, how to outwit the information war, and how to heal damage. Those are the kinds of things I am good at."
The two of them looked at each other and smiled at the same time. They were people who could understand each other through memories of having suffered at the hands of the same people and becoming stronger. Claudia smiled softly, feeling that she had finally grasped something in common that she should have known about before.

"I am happy that you volunteered to be the second wife of this land. We must protect this land. It's not over just because we protect it. We must dispel the shadow of the dark domain and prepare it so that the same crisis does not come again."
"I will use all my power to help you." A white bird carrying a message flew in between the two who nodded to each other. Claudia's outstretched hand was reached by her father's voice, announcing a call to the lord's office.

Chapter Text

The week after Charlotte returned from her fourth year at the Noble Academy, I was invited to a private tea party.

"Thank you for inviting me."
"No, I'm grateful that you accepted despite your busy schedule."

I was offered tea and sweets as per the formality. There were unfamiliar baked goods on the table, exuding a refreshing aroma of spices. These are new sweets from Alexandria given to me by Rozemyne. To be honest, I had no idea what was so good about Ahrensbach cuisine, which uses a lot of spices and makes your mouth numb. Veronica even suspected that she was seasoning it to cover up the poison, even though she said she was teaching the rural territory the wonders of Ahrensbach cuisine.

It must have been about two years ago, when Rozemyne tried a new dish made with spices given to her by Letizia in return, and she was impressed by how spices were originally used. The sweet baked goods from Alexandria that we received this time also had just the right amount of spices to add a slightly stimulating flavor and aroma, and there was no bitterness left in the mouth.
"My sister gave me these sweets if I were to invite Brunhilde to a tea party."
"I'm honored."

When Charlotte looked at me with a happy look, I had the illusion that she was younger. Compared to Rozemyne, who was out of the ordinary in every way, Charlotte seemed to be just right for a female lord candidate, and was appropriate for her age. Over the next few years, having spent time with Lady Rozemyne and experienced the recent changes in the situation surrounding Ehrenfest, I feel that Lady Charlotte has acquired a much more dignified composure than other lord candidates of her age.
...Let's pretend we didn't notice that a large proportion of this seems to be due to Lady Rozemyne's influence...

"This is the manuscript that was reviewed by my sister and her aides at the Noble Academy, and Lady Hannelore of Dunkelfelger."
After we had exchanged information about this year's Noble Academy and social life in Ehrenfest, Lady Charlotte's civil servant took out several bundles of bound plant paper from his writing box. I looked at my aides and they handed me two similar bundles.

"I also brought along the manuscript of Charlotte's story that Elvira had entrusted to me. I also secretly borrowed a copy of Florencia's story."
"Oh my! I heard that Mother and Elvira would be discussing it this winter, so I thought I'd have a chance to read it for a while."

Charlotte's face lights up with amusement. Last spring, Rozemyne stopped by her parents' house to move to her new territory as Lord of the Domain, and apparently came up with this book as part of her plan to manipulate public opinion through stories. I witnessed the moment the idea for the Fernestine story was born...when Elvira lamented the extremely cruel royal orders given to Ferdinand, Rozemyne advised her to "sublimate your anger through fiction," so it was no surprise to me that Elvira came up with the idea to write it.

...After the Fernestine tale was circulated in the Noble House, I was troubled by the number of people who assumed that the female lord candidate who had an unfortunate childhood was Lady Rozemyne.

Still, the plan to appeal to a different readership than the real Ditter of Dunkelfelger or the love story between Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand by depicting a woman who played an active role in the defense of Ehrenfest made sense. By focusing on women, there was also the advantage of not having to touch on the struggle over the foundations of the siblings or the position of the male lord candidates of Ehrenfest. It would also be appropriate for an era in which a female Zent would rise to power, guided by the incarnation of the goddess. Thus, six stories were written centering around Lady Rozemyne, and I ended up appearing in Lady Charlotte's story. Of course, I changed my name and position a little and became a fictional character.

Each manuscript was read by the person who was the subject of the story and approval was obtained, including the changes. Among them, the one that both Charlotte and I were secretly worried about was the story that centered around Florencia.
"Elvira's civil servant, Muriella, copied it for me in between her work. I was also worried that Florencia would be opposed to appearing in the story after the Fernestine story, so I was relieved to see that it was completed without any problems."

"The Fernestine story was a very interesting read, and it was well-received, but I also had mixed feelings about it."
Charlotte sighed. I couldn't agree more. Rozemyne, who should have suffered some actual harm from the Fernestine story, doesn't seem to mind it at all.

When I asked the civil servants, they only praised Muriella from the perspective of it being a wonderful love story. Philine had collected and accumulated more stories than anyone else, and from that she came to the conclusion that "the discord between stepmother and daughter and the handsome man who falls in love with the daughter is one type of story," which made Lady Rozemyne very happy. These two people know the position of a daughter who was not cherished at home, so I can't say anything more than that.

"It seems that it was a good idea for me and Elvira to persuade Mother at first."
"Yes, if I was there, it would have been one against three, so it was a good decision."
Elvira was not very good at stopping when it came to the topic of making books, so I did not attend the tea party where they first discussed it, so that Florencia would not be perceived as having been persuaded by the one against three.

Although I am now engaged to be the second wife, I did not have much contact with Florencia as an aide to a lord candidate. Lady Rozemyne, who also has a base at the temple, viewed the castle more as a place to stop by. She was a little dissatisfied that she could serve at the castle for less time than the other lord candidates.
Lady Rozemyne understood that the temple was a base for the printing industry and a place to casually interact with the members of the Linkberg family, but it also seemed to her like she was missing out on an opportunity to receive direct instruction from Lady Florencia. Lady Florencia also seemed to be troubled by this point. When Lady Florencia mentioned the urgent need for education, given the situation and manpower shortage, we thought it would be best not to change Lady Rozemyne's current method, and everyone was in a situation where they could not be happy about it.

...In such a situation, it is not surprising that Lady Florencia, who was mistaken for the spiteful stepmother from the Fernestine story, would distrust the story.
Although we had such concerns, so far Elvira's writing and the confirmation of the subjects are progressing smoothly. All that remains is the story of Charlotte and me. I have already read it, so while Charlotte looks over her own story and Florencia's, I decided to read the story about returning from the Noble Academy and the attached letter from Rozemyne.

"Elvira has made some bold moves," Charlotte muttered, a little confused, after reading the two stories. I nodded and said I agreed, and her smile returned with relief.
"Aurelia's story is woven with a lot of details about Ahrensbach and Ehrenfest's feud... beginning with her great-grandmother, but my story is also pretty obvious, and it seems like Mother was captured directly."

"Elvira said that she softened the impression of the final story about Rozemyne and Hannelore by likening it to the slaying of monsters in a knight's tale..."
There's no denying how heavy the two stories are.

"My sister said it was interesting because it was so different from her actual exploits. It's true that the heavy feeling is eased by the story of my sister and Hannelore at the end."
"I guess it would be like this if you avoided the confrontation between siblings and wrote it as a powerful enemy like the Dark Domain... but does it really stray that far from what you discussed with Elvira?"

"No, I think she skilfully dramatized what I told Elvira. She managed to avoid the points that I didn't want to be touched upon. It's an interesting story, so I'm satisfied."
"I'm relieved to hear you say that. It's hard to...I'm afraid that I have been changed to make it seem like I have made a great contribution to encouraging Lady Charlotte."

"I'm sure I didn't say it so clearly, but I don't feel any discomfort at all, so I don't mind. Brunhilde is the only one who serves her older sister and joins the lord's family, not Mother or Elvira. There are some things that only Brunhilde can say, and like Claudia in the story, I accepted it easily and felt saved."
"By the way, how did you come up with the name Claudia?"

I felt a bit embarrassed, so I changed the topic somewhat forcefully. Taking a sip of her tea, Lady Charlotte gave a wry smile.
"I didn't know what to do when asked to think of a name for myself as a character. I chose it from the options when Mother and Lady Henriette were thinking of a name. It seems that Angelica and Lady Hannelore also chose their names for similar reasons.”

“Me too. I got it from the names for Bertilde."
"Did your parents give you the names Brunhilde and Bertilde?"
"No, your father said it was only a daughter, and left it to our mother."

To be precise, your father had been hoping for a boy to succeed him, and his interest in the birth of a daughter was diminished. Lady Charlotte must have had some inkling, as she smiled and said, "They're all nice names."
"I'm worried that you can't claim they're someone else just because you changed their name. If you read it, you'll know it's us."

"Yeah, but it's important to have evidence to claim they're fictional characters."
Lady Rozemyne also always prefaces her books by saying, "It's a fictional story, and has no connection to any real people or groups." Lady Elvira, who knows this better than anyone, decided that Lady Rozemyne and Lady Ferdinand's love story could be published as long as it had the same preface, which left him scratching his head...

"Was Fernestine a name that Elvira and the others mixed up and altered from Lady Eglantine's and her uncle's...?"
The manipulation of public opinion through stories was proposed by Lady Rozemyne, and the first work, or perhaps the prototype, was the Fernestine story. In other words, it is a method that has not yet been established, and both Lady Charlotte and I are a little sceptical. Since Lady Elvira and Lady Rozemyne are the predecessors, I think it would be better if it was the policy they decided on. However, I am sometimes confused as to whether it is appropriate to use the two of their’s determination as a standard.

"In the story of Fernestine, even though the names are so different, some people misunderstood it to be about my sister..."
"Yes, the part about her love with the prince clearly shows that it was Lady Eglantine. At the time, every territory wanted to claim that Lady Rozemyne was in a difficult situation and asking for help, so it couldn't be helped... but Rozemyne, if she were to quietly express your plight through a story, I think she would have written Fernestine as a book lover and a fan of composing music."

"Indeed, to us, Fernestine, whose hobbies include books, doesn't look like you to your older sister. That's what we know well, and that may be the problem."
Sister Charlotte clasps her hands together as if she has thought of something.

"The more you know the facts, the more difficult it is to convey hidden facts to those who know nothing about it, hidden behind the appearance of a fictional story, and to plant an impression on them to guide them in a direction that suits you. The more you know the facts, the more difficult it is to grasp that perspective."

She seems to think that we may feel that we are writing things too obviously, but that it's just right for those reading for the first time.
"There may be some kind of trick to the way the stories are arranged, and how to present the content you want to leave an impression on."

I felt as if she was implying that she might know, her sister. I felt a great sense of nostalgia for my master, who had already left the territory.
As with your knowledge, there are many mysteries surrounding Lady Rozemyne's background.
By hiding out in the temple, she was known as a commoner who was not an official noble, and among the priests of the temple head and Veronica's faction at the time, as a magically powerful apprentice blue priestess before her baptism.

When the temple head tried to sell Lady Rozemyne to a noble in Ahrensbach, Lady Veronica committed a crime she could not deny and was arrested. Many of those involved seem to think that this was resolved peacefully, but as members of the House of Groschel, the entire family was astounded by the temple head's mischief.
Given the timing of the incident, it was likely decided at that point that Lady Rozemyne would return to the Linkberg family and be baptized. The temple head is so petty-minded and small-minded that he viewed the blue one as an enemy and harassed her, as she was becoming a noble through special measures.

They probably thought it was easy to come up with the idea of selling Lady Rozemyne as an unidentified child, since she possesses a wealth of magical power and can return to the household of a high-ranking nobleman related to the lord. After I refused the request of the temple chief to take back her belongings, an invitation to Lady Rozemyne's baptism arrived on paper I had never seen before, causing a fuss. I was criticized for not knowing about the existence of her daughter while training under Lady Elvira, but since she hid her child well before the baptism, there is no reason for me to be criticized, and only Lady Elvira should be praised.
(Note: I don’t really get this paragraph…? Someone, help!)

When I saw Lady Rozemyne at the baptismal ceremony, I was amazed by her new hair ornament, her lustrous hair, and her abundant magical power, but the older generation was quite upset about the sudden adoption by the lord and the color of Lady Rozemyne's hair.
Her hair has a strong blue hue, similar to that of the previous lord and Lady Sylvester. And the previous lord also had golden eyes. It was taboo when Veronica ruled, but the golden eyes of the previous lord were not passed down to any of Veronica's children or grandchildren, and it was widely rumoured that only Ferdinand had the same color. As an attendant, I was dissatisfied with this, because even though Rozemyne's eyes and Ferdinand's eyes are the same golden color, the color is different enough to match the clothes and accessories they are paired with... It is not surprising that Karstedt's children inherited the color, as it was passed down from their parents, the previous lord and Bonifatius, but it was also strange that Bonifatius and Karstedt's colors were not there. Cornelius, who is officially her full brother, was someone that my father had mentioned as a potential fiancé even before he developed magical sense, but compared to him, Rozemyne's magical power seemed unusual.

There were also rumors that, combining her magical power and unusual knowledge, she was the child of the previous lord and a woman from the center who had fled from a political upheaval. I found this rumor to be relatively plausible, but since last year, the mainstream rumor has been that Lady Rozemyne is a daughter sent by the Goddess of Wisdom as an incarnation to save Yurgenschmidt.

It may seem like an absurd story, but the Goddess of Wisdom, Mestionora, is a wind-affiliated deity. When it's said that the Goddess of Weaving wove the thread that would allow her to join the lord's family in Ehrenfest, which has the wind border gate, it's understandable that those who live in this country would want to believe it. However, when the Goddess of Time descended upon Lady Hannelore in the winter academy and called out Lady Rozemyne by name, it cannot be denied that this strengthened the view that anything is possible for Lady Rozemyne.

***

After getting her tea replaced, Lady Charlotte began flipping through the manuscript of Lady Florencia's story again.
"I was surprised when I heard that Mother had named the character after Grandmother, but I think she really wanted to convey that this name was referring to Ahrensbach."

"In the main text, we refer to it as the Dark Territory."
Elvira and her friends often use fictitious territorial names, but in this story, the name of the country Yurgenschmidt and the names of the territories have been hidden to give the impression that it is an adaptation of historical fact.

"I never imagined that Grandma would be given a name that was a play on Ahrensbach. When I read it earlier, I was surprised that Mother would push her feelings so strongly forward, but since she was hiding the name of the territory, she may have thought that this was the only option."
"...Or maybe she wanted to separate Veronica from the current lord family as a symbol of the living Ahrensbach. Gabriele has long since passed away, and writing about Georgine would lead to a confrontation with the Aub."

"That's right. From Alexandria's perspective, Dietlinde's half-brother was also arrested, so it's a problem between the old Berkestock and the old Ahrensbach, and the main focus is on the generation that experienced the political upheaval, but from Ehrenfest's perspective, it's Georgine."
Florencia came up with the name Arlendra for the character who corresponds to Veronica. The name itself is not unusual, even if it sounds a bit old-fashioned, but it is not a commonly used spelling, and is the same as Ahrensbach's.

"From the perspective of whether she is alive now, my sister said that it would be fine to leave Gabrielle as she is, since she is a historical figure."
"Isn't that a bit too bold...?"

"Yes, if that is how my sister, who came up with the idea, mixing the name with the territory's name may have been a good compromise."
...That's what Rozemyne said, "It's all his fault." It's a slightly problematic way of saying it for a lady, but I was relieved that it didn't seem to be spoken in front of Charlotte, so I was relieved.

"In terms of his relationship with Ahrensbach, Aurelia was kind enough to let me write in such detail."
Charlotte muttered in an impressed tone, looking at the botanical paper in my hands.

"Not only has it been established that she will not be implicated, but the fact that she was protecting her husband's family means that she will not be seen by the castle's eyes."
"I heard that the book was originally started as a whim to make life easier for Aurelia, but I never knew what Gabriele looked like."

"It's good that Charlotte, who will lead the next generation, doesn't have a bad impression of any particular face."
"Yes, I'm glad that she's not a grandchild who has to be shown portraits of her grandmother's personal belongings and have to listen to her memories."

She seemed truly relieved. I remember Gabriele's face very well. She was shown the portrait that was left in the house because it was better to have as much information as possible to avoid Veronica's malice. There was also a portrait at the main house in Leisegang. Aurelia seems to have built a relationship of trust with Elvira, and she has been fond of Rozemyne since the dyeing competition, so I'm not worried about her. She's the one who turned all the veils into Ehrenfest dyed cloth.
...Considering the ranking of the territories, Lady Rozemyne's suggestion at that time could be said to be unreasonable, but it fit with Lady Aurelia's circumstances and became a good opportunity, so Lady Rozemyne's social interactions, although dangerous, were not so scary.

While I was occasionally lost in my memories, Lady Charlotte continued to turn the pages one after another. I'm sure Lady Rozemyne would be happy to see her enjoying the story while keeping her eyes on the contents.
...No, it seems that Lady Rozemyne would start reading next to her and put observing Lady Charlotte on the back burner.

"Do you know Brigitte?"
"I knew her face from when she was Lady Rozemyne's guardian knight in her nursery. We officially introduced each other at Lady Elvira's tea party."

They did not work as aides for the same period. Since she is the love interest of Damuel, she is not often mentioned in casual conversations when all the aides are gathered together. I occasionally heard her name in casual conversations at the Noble Academy before Cornelius graduated, and when Lady Rozemyne mentioned Illgner's magic scroll.
Brigitte's story is the closest to a knight's tale in this book. It is based on testimony from a battle with the enemy near the border alongside the reinforcements led by Lord Bonifatius.

"I like stories that focus on Angelica and Lieselotte. It doesn't feel strange even if you switch the sisters..."
Judith was having trouble coming up with a name for a character based on herself, so she chose one from a family tree she saw at her parents' house, and it ended up being the same as the first wife of Damuel's older brother. When she told Charlotte how Philine got sulky as a result, she laughed with amusement.

"I like this story too. By the way, when I gave a copy to Lieselotte, she said that Onee-sama read it as soon as she returned, and requested that Leonore and Philine be included. I'd be happy to convey the details to her at tomorrow's tea party."
"Yes, I'll leave it to you."

...Does this mean that Leonore will also be involved in thinking of names? Philine should have been integrated with Muriella, but...
"Speaking of Angelica and Lieseleta's story, it was pointed out that if a child's magical power grows to the point where even their parents can't detect it, there will be problems with magical tools for children. A minor who was taught my sister's magic compression method didn't realize that such problems could arise... What about Brunhilde?"

"That was because those two were naturally suited to compressing magical power, but unfortunately I can still detect Father's magic power. I'm sure we'll be able to secure one of the magical tools for children to receive as part of her dowry."
Lieseleta said that they didn't actually have that conversation, but she liked the depiction so skilfully that for a moment she thought she had actually said it. I would also entrust my magic stone to the sisters and ask them to protect Lady Rozemyne.

Having checked the outline of the six stories that will be included, we checked the order of the stories once again. The order is Aurelia's story, Brigitte's story, Angelica and Lieselotte's story, Charlotte's story and mine, Florencia's story, and Rozemyne and Hannelore's story. After arranging them in order and storing them in a bookcase along with letters and notes, even though I wasn't involved in the writing itself, I feel like the preparations have progressed a lot.

"After all, it's good that the story of Rozemyne and Hannelore comes at the end."
"Yes, I imagined a very unrealistic scene, and then I realized that this was a story, and it was a relief to enjoy a satisfying ending."

Chapter Text

I heard that the Battle of Gerlach was not a very pleasant one, with many casualties, including the deaths of Giebe and the commander of the Giebe Knights, and the state of their leader, Graozam. I also hesitate to make public in the story that Graozam replaced his own body with magic stones.

To counter this, based on Lady Rozemyne's idea, a strange and gigantic enemy was created that was a combination of two magical beasts, something that no one would have thought of. Graozam himself becomes one with it and fights. I was a little confused by the unimaginable sight. By tracing my memories of the magical beasts I saw in the territory competition, such as Grün and Talfrosh, I was able to imagine the individual elements of the gigantic enemy, but I just couldn't imagine the whole picture. The better I could imagine it, the worse I felt, so I gave up from that point on.

However, it seems that the combination of two magical beasts, or the combination of a magical beast with a human, is forbidden magic, so I doubt anyone would openly imitate it. In the case of magical beasts and humans, they can combine but cannot separate, and in the end, both will only rise to greater heights.
...It seems that from the beginning, Graozam, whose body was modified into magic stone, dedicated his life only to the diversion at Gerlach and his showdown with Bonifatius, so it's troubling that this seems natural as a story based on reality.

And so, once Graozam had become an unidentifiable giant magical beast and lost his human voice and could no longer converse, one of the highlights of the final story is when Rozemyne subdues him with the knowledge she gained from Grutrissheit and the wind shield, and Hannelore defeats him with the Leidenschaft spear imbued with magical powers.

Even so, isn't it a bit exaggerated when Hannelore uses her mount-type beast like an ordinary beast... standing on it with one rein in one hand like a horse troll, and when she uses the Leidenschaft spear? It would be detrimental to her if people thought that Hannelore could do it. The scene that follows, where the two of them have a tea party and pray in the evening, is incredibly beautiful, and to be honest, I think just the tea party scene would have been enough, so I guess I must be just an attendant.

When I said this, Lady Charlotte chuckled.
"I also think that if we look at it as a story, it would be more beautiful if it ended with just the tea party at night. However, if we want to include Onee-sama's mystique and Dunkelfelger's praise for his martial arts, I think we need an enemy as new and strange as this one."

"Yes, there is no exaggeration in the fact that Lady Rozemyne was able to gain knowledge from Grutrissheit and seal away monsters with the wind shield."
"Yes, there is no exaggeration in Lady Rozemyne..."

"If Lady Hannelore is satisfied with it, then we'll be fine with it."
"Yes, Lady Hannelore was pleased. Apparently she can ride beasts, and she is expected to be able to materialize the Leidenschaft spear in the future. Also, since she has become known as the second incarnation of the goddess with the advent of Dreffangur, it would be better for Dunkelfelger if she was this flashy."

...So she can ride beasts.
"As expected of Lady Rozemyne's best friend." I couldn't say anything more.

For me, the scathing verbal battle between Lady Florencia and Veronica, which would only happen in an emergency, is more real than the story of the battlefield, and it's not something that can happen to someone else. It's a story that brings back many memories of the anger and humiliation I must have experienced in the past, stirring my heart and spurring me on to never give in.

Then there's a story about beautiful, lively female lord-trainees using sacred objects to slay a strange, eerie monster, so I think this is the cleverness of the book's structure. Even if it's not as dramatic as Lady Florencia's story, there are nobles in every territory who have had similar experiences, so it's appropriate to overwrite it with an unimaginable story at the end.
The tea party in the greenhouse at night and the prayers offered to the dead were truly beautiful scenes!

Telling myself that, I sipped the tea that Bertilde had replaced. The bell hasn't rung yet, but the time to finish is approaching, Bertilde advised me with a look as she left. Time seemed to pass much faster than it felt, and I couldn't help but stir the water in my cup. It seemed they had been talking more enthusiastically about their new book than I had expected. Dreffangour's weaving must have been progressing well as well.

...If possible, I would have liked to hear more about Charlotte and my thoughts on our conversation.
With a little bit of reflection, the tea party was dismissed for the day.

Chapter Text

"Lady Florentina, a report from the south."
"Did Victoria make it in time?"

"Yes, together with the reinforcements, they captured a group that seemed to be a diversionary force and killed the leader. The damage to the knights of the Giebe territory seems to be considerable, but there were no casualties among Lady Victoria's party and the reinforcements."
"...You fought well against an opponent who used unknown magical tools and potions."

Hearing the report from the civil servant, the first wife of the lord, Florentina, sighed in relief. The combination of her adopted daughter, who has abundant magical powers and a talent for military tactics similar to her teacher, and the lord candidate of the warrior territory, is an unmatched fighting force within the castle, but both are minors and this is their first time on the battlefield. It is natural that she is worried about a girl the same age as her adopted daughter.

"It will be difficult to ask Victoria and the others for more help than this. Please confirm the damage in the Gibe territory and inform them to return safely to the capital."

She does not stop walking as she listens to the reports one after another. She checks the hidden passage that she and the lord had rebuilt together, checks the work of the departments under her control during wartime, and issues a speech. She leaves the logistical support of magic tools, healing potions, and cooking to her daughter Claudia and the lord's second wife Beatrix, and keeps a close eye on the castle.

"I'm relieved to see that you seem calm," one of the knights said. He had been her guardian knight since she was a child and accompanied her to her wedding, and his words, which had experienced many crises, reminded her of her late father.

She is the third wife's child.

She had no ambition to succeed him, and by continually showing that she was far from the center of politics, she grew up safely. Then, when the next lord of this land took a liking to her, she unexpectedly became the first wife. However, this also marked the beginning of her days of confronting the insidious and harsh methods of her mother-in-law, the first wife of the previous lord, as a wife who was married against her mother-in-law's wishes. On the one hand, she was the one who was blocked from information, and on the other hand, she was the one who chose what information to give. During her childhood, she was wary of the lord's family, to which she was related by blood, and after her marriage, she behaved in a way that would prevent her mother-in-law, a stranger, from tripping her up. The days that Florentina had thought would be a turbulent life, had now become a shield that protected and supported her in the face of even greater turbulence - an invasion by another territory.

After checking the exits of several hidden passages and traps, she was about to turn around and head for her office. However, her aide, who had come a short distance away to make a call, raised an objection. He came running towards her out of breath, holding the still chirping Ordnance in one hand.

"A nobleman with no record of entering the castle was apprehended in the visiting room area. He insists that he has arrived on the orders of the former lord's wife. If an emissary from the great dark domain is visiting, hospitality is necessary."

"What on earth is he talking about, mother-in-law?" A cold feeling flowed through Florentina's chest, as if she had drunk water with ice floating in it.
Her mother-in-law... the former lord's wife, Arlendra, is a high-ranking noble whose mother was a candidate for the lordship of the dark domain. She has always boasted about her mother's domain of origin, and has wielded power in this land for a long time with it as her backing.

However, a number of crimes were revealed a few years ago, and she was detained in her former villa under the pretext of medical treatment. Although her crimes would normally be punishable by execution, she possesses many name offering stones. Only a handful of name offerings come from true loyalty, and the majority are coerced through threats. The lord, who was her biological son, was speechless at the horrifying situation of a young man who had just come of age being forced to give his life to an old woman who had great-grandchildren. Not out of love for his mother, but out of concern for the lives of those who would be taken along with him, and after weighing the magical power that would be lost from the territory, the lord chose to spare his biological mother's life and imprison her.

"At this point, she’s talking as if our territory is a vassal territory..."
"Perhaps she is unable to bear the grief of losing her husband and is seeing something unusual."
"She was cautious and even compounded her own medicine, but perhaps she accidentally put in poison for others to drink."

The aides all expressed their confusion. When she married into the family, their anger was directed at the lord, who had done nothing to restrain her. However, as the strangeness of the former lord's wife became known, they began to appreciate her for having continued to avoid fatal injuries to the territory.

"No, my mother-in-law is probably sane."
The aides' gazes were focused on Florentina. Having been on the defensive in the castle to protect herself and her child, she understood to some extent the mechanisms of her mother-in-law's thinking.

"There's no need to look so surprised. In your mind, your fantasy is the "correct" one. I must speak to you as someone who is aware that she is sane."
The aides all showed their submission in unison. Florentina looked around them calmly and gave instructions to change the destination. The head civil servant sent one of the civil servants on a messenger to the lord, making sure that the rest of the lord's family didn't find out. She nodded with satisfaction. This was her fight.

According to her mother-in-law Arlendra, she was the tragic princess of two generations. Her mother gave up her life in a large fief and married into a rural fief with many benefits, but she was treated coldly by country folk who were not equipped to accept her and lost her life. Her daughter, who was of a bloodline suitable to become a candidate for a lord, was treated as a high-ranking noble. That was her argument.

From the outside, the former lord was a sacrifice, constantly undergoing the endless trials of the Glücklitat in order to silence her, who demanded that she not marry anyone other than him. However, Arlendra herself believes that she and her mother fought fairly to get back what was unjustly taken from her. She has an abnormally high opinion of herself, and is unable to see the mirror of the people around her. The battle she speaks of is a gruesome one, in which she poisons other candidates for wife, and even if they survive, they are forced into a state where they cannot bear children. Until Beatrix, forty years had passed since the last candidate for the lord's second wife, and no one had lived to see their engagement ceremony.

"Mother-in-law, what can I help you with today?"
The castle official who had contacted her seemed to have handled the situation well. Florentina called out to her mother-in-law in a subdued voice as she was skilfully guided to the visiting room on the far side of the entrance. "Well," said her mother-in-law, casting her usual irritating and unpleasant gaze. Her lips, painted a poisonous red, twisted.

"What a poor wife. An emissary from another territory is coming, and yet you don't even contact me... I should not have allowed the daughter of the third wife of a loser territory to marry. She should have knelt down to the emissary and asked for proper instruction."
"...Oh, it's too early for Schlaftraum to come. No, maybe you're too sleepy to even see Ordoschnelli's shadow."

Having her arrogant claim cut off, Arlendra's face turned crimson red. Florentina was surprised to find herself feeling a little disappointed. Either she doesn't know about the invasion, or she's interpreting everything in a way that suits her, it's a poor response from a mother-in-law who has ruled this land for so long with intrigue and poison.

No, maybe she has no choice but to cling to the illusion of the great territory of her mother's hometown.
As her understanding deepens, she feels like she can see the weakness of the monster that is her mother-in-law.

"They are certainly heading for the capital city... but what do you think about this, mother-in-law?" Glancing sideways at the civil servant who was reaching into the cover of his uniform, Florentina asked her mother-in-law with a calm attitude. Her attitude of pointing out mistakes while asking for instruction has an immediate effect.

"I know, I'm worried about the current situation where you forced me to retire and are acting tyrannically without listening to your instructions."
There's no way she would underestimate the lord's family, who are the blood of her own territory. That's the mother-in-law's long-winded argument. Florentina couldn't help but smile sympathetically. How would a lord candidate who couldn't act for the sake of the territory be treated? Although she had a lord candidate as her mother and was raised as a lord's wife, such common sense had not taken root in her mother-in-law.

"So, as descendants of the great dark territory, you want us, the lord's family, to follow their wishes, Mother-in-law?"
"Yes, understand that before you explain it to me."

"I understand. We will follow Mother-in-law's words and act as a lord's family."
Her mother-in-law's face lit up with joy, but Florentina ignored it with a smile and took out her Schtappe. That was the signal.

"What are you doing?"
"Well, I wish to grant my mother-in-law's wish. Everyone, it seems that Lady Arlendra has lost her beloved husband and has no ties to this land. If you would prefer to show submission to your mother's hometown rather than protect this land as a lord's family, then I, as the lord's first wife, will assist you."

Looking down at her mother-in-law, bound with a ribbon of light, Florentina smiled quietly. With the knight pointing his weapon at her, Arlendra’s face went completely pale.
"W-how can you treat me, the Aub’s mother like this? Where is that child?"

"So now you are in a defensive posture... You know that Aub must immediately retreat to the foundation in the event of an emergency. Ah, at that time, Claudia will be stationed in the office as the next successor."

"Successor, next successor..."

"There is no loyal grandchild who will follow your wishes. Mother-in-law treated Claudia coldly, not as her granddaughter, but as her daughter, but I am grateful that she was able to be trained thanks to that."
Arlendra’s face is completely pale, but her fighting spirit does not seem to have faded. A much more hideous insult than I remembered resounds from the floor.

Then, there is a plea for sympathy, as if she is abandoning a poor old woman who has lost her husband and cannot rely on her family. It is a technique that she often used on her husband and son, but to use it on her daughter-in-law, who she looked down on. Though she was shocked, Florentina was relieved that her mother-in-law was a threat who only thought of herself until the end and would stop at nothing to prevent it.

In the corner of the room, one of the knights was receiving the Ordonnanz that had been awarded to those who had helped her mother-in-law escape from the villa.
"Well, although I am a poor wife, I did my best to grant your wish this time, but it seems that Jugereise's sacred implements have been used against me. Besides, the 'etiquette of the Dark Realm' that mother-in-law always preaches about does not suit us. Neither in my hometown nor here, there is any way to frame and try someone without evidence, so the Dark Domain has been destroyed, so perhaps Mother-in-law should learn anew."

"Destroyed..."
"Yes, as a rebellious domain that brought in a foreign country, the candidate for the lordship of our domain has laid the foundations in accordance with the king's wishes. Even those in the villa know this, right? Elisabeth's daughter, Victoria, is the new lord of that domain."

The mother-in-law was speechless this time.

When suddenly confronted with a fact that exceeds her expectations, even a cunning nobleman skilled in scheming would lose his expression to this extent. Florentina herself felt more confused than accomplished. At the same time, she was relieved that she had not had to expose the young people to this spectacle. "Mother-in-law, thank you for training me, my children, and the nobles of this land. Although the threads spun by the goddess of time, Dreffangur, will never come together, I hope you will stay healthy until the supreme god of this country calls you as a descendant of the dark domain."

After packing up everything, she turned around. Beatrix greeted her in the corridor leading to the center of the main building. Florentina was truly relieved to meet her as expected. The fact that she was standing here as a member of the lord's family without being harmed was also proof that this land had a future.
"Lady Claudia has moved to the lord's office. I will take over the support of supplies. ... I am grateful that Lady Florentina has fulfilled her role as the goddess of order."

Chapter Text

When preparations for the territory battle were in full swing, I invited Hannelore to the tea party room of the Alexandria dormitory. The big fuss of the time goddess Dregarnuhr descending on Hannelore and me being called to the past had died down, but the bride-stealing battle for Hannelore was just beginning. The Noble House is busy preparing behind the scenes, with the territories participating in the battle engaged in many machinations. The non-participating territories cannot openly cooperate, but there is nothing wrong with providing a place of relaxation away from the topic of the bride-stealing battle.

Also, today I plan to have Hannelore check the manuscript of Elvira's new work.

Before we left Ehrenfest, we were talking and Elvira came up with a story, which she took two seasons to shape. It's a collection of stories about women defending Ehrenfest.

...Mother Elvira is truly amazing.
My eyes skipped over Philine’s report that my love story with Ferdinand seems to have progressed because it's on hold due to the rule that I have to wait until I graduate, but I can't resist the temptation to add more books to my collection.

Of the six stories, the one with Lieseleta and Angelica as the main characters arrived for confirmation, so I read it. While retaining elements of love stories and knight tales, the writing emphasizes direct language, which is unusual for Elvira, and refrains from using godlike expressions, so I was able to get into it easily.

It was also interesting that the two of them remained the same even though the sisters' roles were reversed. The only thing that was a little disappointing was that the character modeled after Judith had few appearances.

So it was only natural that I wanted to see the other manuscripts, and the remaining manuscripts were soon completed while I could still communicate at the Noble Academy. But with the busy schedule since my return, I can't get to them. It's a daily routine of return, office work, lectures, socializing, lectures, socializing, return, socializing, socializing.

Now that I've overcome those days, I'm sitting at my desk in front of my manuscript with a smile. All six manuscripts are lined up, with five unread. I've also prepared copies of Hannelore's and my story to show them.

If I'm going to ask Hannelore if she'll allow it to be published, she might ask me to explain the story that will be published at the same time. By insisting that, I have time to prepare for socializing, which is equal to reading. If Ferdinand gets angry, I intend to insist that "This is the book that I asked Mother to write, so I want to be of help to Mother."

"Hmm, hmm..."
I can't help but hum. It seems that my guards, Shumil and the others, are also enjoying listening to my singing. Lieseleta, who was reluctant to hand over all the manuscripts, is also smiling.
And so I turn the page of a new story.

( *^-^)ρ(^0^* )

"Ugh... you're amazing, Mother..."

As the impatient Lieselotte wiped the loose eyes of my eyes, I put down the manuscripts for the first two chapters. I was unhappy with being treated like I was when I was young, but Lieselotte looked at me and smiled lovingly. All the frustration that had built up from my long absence and worry and not being able to take care of her was transferred to caring for me. I think she is a model attendant.

"Mother is really... a model parent..."

The first story is about Aurelia and Elvira. It depicts the scene where Aurelia decides to defend the mansion and the two of them prepare for battle in the compounding room. It was the first time I'd heard of a knight leaving a small child behind to prepare liquid magic in advance. When I invaded Ahrensbach, all of my attendants were unmarried. According to Elvira's letter, it was originally supposed to be a story about Aurelia fighting intruders into the mansion, but at Aurelia's request, it was expanded to include an episode where the two of them prepared for battle together.

...For Aurelia, I think the conditions for victory were that Siegrecht survived and that Lamprecht and the other members of the Linkberg family were spared.
I think Aurelia accepted her own responsibility as soon as she heard the news that the Ahrensbach lords were attacking Ehrenfest and allied with a foreign country to target the center as well. It seems that last year's purge would have been in danger without Elvira's leadership. Putting the Linkberg family aside, it would be unreasonable for the Knights not to be wary of a niece of the lord at the time, who was born close to the lord's family even among a side branch.

It is clear from the story that Aurelia does not prioritize her own survival. Even though he wouldn't be able to witness the baptism, even though he wouldn't be able to officially call his child his own, his prayer that he would survive really tugged at my heartstrings. I wanted to pray for the health and longevity of Aurelia, Siegrecht, and the entire Linkberg family, but I held myself back. I couldn't mention Siegrecht's name before his baptism in front of the former Ahrensbach aides.

I was on the verge of tears, so I quickly reached for the second story, and the synergistic effect made my heart ache as I read it.

The main character of this story is Brigitte. I was confused at first because their names are completely different, but as I remembered the scene in Illgner, the lively female knight running around in the story overlapped with Brigitte. Then Brigitte started talking about whether or not to leave her child behind and go to battle, so it was no good. She casually said that even if she rose to a higher position, it was fine as long as her hometown and family were safe. If I hadn't calmed down after seeing the details of the papermaking business concealed and the descriptions of me (the lord candidate who is thought to be the model) being praised in places, I might have cried too much and not been able to finish the book.

...I feel like I've become weak when it comes to family stories since becoming Myne.
The story of Angelica and Lieselotte (the second time) is also about the familial love between sisters. There is an aspect of it being a story between two aides who serve the same lord, but what really got to me was the composition of a knight thinking about what will happen after he dies in battle and his family seeing him off.
Even though she is a fictional character, Angelica is still so Angelica. And it's the second time. If I hadn't thought of that, I would have cried.

However, I knew that the two of them had developed their magical powers to the point where they couldn't detect the magical power of their parents, but the problem of the children's magical tools passed down in their families being difficult to use was a blind spot. I'll raise the opportunity to go and collect them next time. Or, just like last year's collection of gold dust materials after the succession ceremony, it might be a good idea to create a system where adults can also collect them at the Noble Academy. I could also feel Mother's pressure that it was best that Angelica and Eckhart were able to settle down. I wonder if she gave up on making it a love story?

Then there's the fourth story, about Charlotte and Brunhilde. As an older sister, I cried at Charlotte's growth as she became the next lord. Even before we moved, I was amazed by Charlotte's command many times. It's not bewildering, but rather I'm moved by how well-thought-out she is.
Brunhilde also has a different side to her. She too has a member of the lord's family behind her. I was overwhelmed when she refused after being told that she could still run away as her fiance.

I'm relieved that with Brunhilde joining the lord's family, she can work together with Charlotte in a position where the difference in their positions is smaller than before. I thought that Brunhilde's decision to support me as the lord's first wife had been for nothing, but even without me, I think Brunhilde will liven up Ehrenfest as the next lord's right-hand man in female social interactions. If Charlotte becomes lord, she can take multiple husbands, but she will have to find a female assistant within the territory. I, the older sister, have moved away, and my younger sister has not even been baptized yet. Brunhilde's presence, who cooperated with us at the Noble Academy, will be invaluable.

What kind of relationship will the two be shown through the story? I feel that they are a little different from friends. Perhaps they are closer to allies?

And the fifth chapter. To be honest, I was most surprised by Florencia's story.
The first wife of the lord, whose name is Florentina, which is quite similar to her original name, is hiding from the children and operating in the castle in a tense situation after the invasion begins... I started reading it thinking that. Florencia, who was raised in a lord's family and is a model lady, would not be assigned the action of a knight.

...It was quite a brute force. But magic is the power that determines the value of nobility, so maybe this is also a battle between nobles.

In the story, Florencia, or Florentina, captured her stepmother, Arlendra, who insisted on allegiance to the Dark Territory.

I thought that my mother would come up with the name for the character, since there was no way she would go to Veronica in the White Tower and ask her to think of a name for a character based on her in the story, but according to the letter, it was Florencia who came up with the name. I felt that the depth of Florencia's suffering up until now was apparent in the fact that she deliberately named Veronica a parody of Ahrensbach. The ending, where she is greeted by her fiancée, Brunhilde, who is to become her second wife, is also good. This part is probably completely fictional, though.

I guess my adoptive mother has always been troubled by Veronica's negative legacy. Raising a child, etc.

I never really expected her to be motherly. Or rather, ever since the face-grinding incident, Wilfried's lack of education had been a constant source of concern, so there was no reason for him to do something that might be considered sneaky. Elvira was almost always there for the ladies' socializing, and if I visited Sylvester, I would automatically meet Karstedt. Living in the main building and the annex to the north, there was not much casual conversation.

Also, Wilfried's lack of education was exposed within a single season. I remember thinking that her eyes were beautiful as she tried to look ahead, suppressing her anger, rather than criticizing or lamenting those involved, in the face of the harsh reality that her eldest son had completed his baptism but might be eliminated from the debut. So I was asked for my opinion, and most of what I said was adopted as it was. Since Florencia had the right to raise Wilfried, I thought it would be fine if he was restored to the correct form.

If anything, I think that at that time I wanted to stop mothers from losing their children due to bullying from their mother-in-law or unreliable husbands and subordinates.
…Yeah, I think the adoptive mother has a right to be angry!

Her first chance at raising a child was taken away by her stepmother. She's so kind that she claims, "Here is the meanest stepmother in Ehrenfest!", playing on the name of the territory she is so proud of.
I'm not sure if it's okay to go into detail about Aurelia's situation, but Veronica is in the White Tower anyway, so even if those around her say something to Ehrenfest based on this story, they'll probably just say, "What are you talking about, taking a fictional story seriously?"

I'll confirm the story between me and Hannelore at the upcoming tea party, and as I reread Mother's letter, I'll write my thoughts and opinions on the five episodes in a letter.
Elvira is a civil servant, but as you'd expect from a parent who raised three knights as the first wife of the commander of the knights, I think she's just as you'd expect from her. I was particularly impressed with the descriptions of the knights. According to the letter, at first she struggled with the highlight of a love story... because she couldn't mix the scene of the rescue of the young lady and the offering of the magic stone into a knight's tale.

After her exchange with Aurelia, she felt that her experience of sublimating her undirected emotions in the story of Fernestine was similar, and then she started to write more.
She was also a bit perplexed by the idea of making a woman the main character, but as she discussed it with the people involved, she found that it had the advantage of not making the fight between Sylvester and Georgine into an entertainment while making it seem like it was in line with the era of the female Zent and the incarnation of the goddess, and she was relieved that it was accepted as a new attempt.

It's very novel and interesting. It's better than I expected. Mother is amazing.
First, I wrote that kind of content in a noble-like style, and wrote simple impressions divided into each story, and suggestions for improvements to some of the stories.

I would like to see Leonore and Philine in the third story since it's a good opportunity. How about adding a story about a girl who looks like Angelica and bringing in Leonore there? Or something like that.
The love story between Philine and Damuel will probably be written in the future, but I'd like to at least mention her as the director of the orphanage.

The civil servant who appeared had the same initials as Philine, but her circumstances and way of speaking were similar to Muriella's. I think it's great that Muriella, who was kept under guard at the castle during the actual battle, was at least in the story as part of the Linkberg family.
It seems that Muriella is often called upon by Aurelia to talk to, so I'd like to see a conversation between Petronella and Amalie in the story, too. I added that the order of the stories gets mixed up, but that can't be helped.

“Mother probably thinks I just want to read more. She’s right! I want more and more books. The Library of Alexandria will not let go of every book that is born in Yurgenschmidt. I was surprised by the story of the foster mother, but I was impressed by how she tried to arrest the person who had harmed others with false accusations and cut off the ties of the past, out of the sight of her children. The ending where the future second wife greeted her with a knowing attitude was also wonderful.”

That’s about it. Just as I used four sheets of letter paper, the Lieseleta announced the time for the tea party.

(Continued in the second part!)

Chapter Text

"What a sight..."
Siegfried, a candidate for lord of the Great Domain of Fire, gasped at the sight she saw from her mount.

Below her, a murky black mass expanded and contracted, making a sticky sound.
The sight reminded her of a monster lying on the ground, on the verge of losing all its strength, but its appearance was far too strange to be called a monster.

Its body was as big as several carriages piled together haphazardly. It was heavy enough to run over a small wooden hut and crush it cruelly.
Its body was a mixture of stiff fur reminiscent of Grun and Gorue, smooth skin covered in mucus like Talfrosch, and fish-like scales. At first, there were four pairs of front and back legs, but upon closer inspection, the severed legs were so different in shape that it was hard to believe they belonged to the same creature.

The black blood that flowed endlessly resembled the sludge of Ternisbefallen.
And most bizarre of all was the mass that seemed to have either stuck in or grown from the center, resembling the upper half of a human body...no, it was something that had once been human.

Until just a moment ago, he had been a nobleman, a fugitive who had committed a grave crime, and a member of a force plotting to invade the Land of Wind and Shields. Now he had become part of an unknown creature.
The sight was so shocking that even the veteran knights turned pale. The few civil servants, confronted by the confused knights, shook their heads pale, saying that there was no way to give a magical beast the characteristics of multiple species like that. Some civil servants pointed out that while the fusion of magical beasts was an ancient form of magic, the fusion of humans and magical beasts was forbidden, but judging from the reason why it was forbidden, there couldn't be any advantage for a human to fuse with a magical beast. They looked away, unable to understand. In short, no one knew how to deal with it.

The Giebe territory, located in the southern part of the Shield Territory, had just been the scene of a fierce battle between the invading forces of the Dark Territory and the Giebe knights. With the addition of Victoria, who had taken over the foundations of the Dark Territory and become the Lord of the Duchy, the Shield Territory side gained an overwhelming advantage.

At that moment, he appeared.
The man took advantage of an opportunity in the melee to kill Giebe, and then attempted to kill Victoria, who was his key player, and began his attack using a variety of unfamiliar magical tools. They had a particularly hard time with the magical tools that absorbed the magical power released for attacks and used it freely. Because there were so many elites, there was an abundance of magical power poured into each blow.

"Siegfried, how is it going?"
"We are whittling them down little by little with the black weapons."

Heard a call from behind, Siegfried turned around with Gettilt at the ready. Her mount is a one-person ridable mount, but she is currently standing with one foot on the roof and one hand on the reins. In contrast, Victoria, the owner of the voice, is using a huge mount that can accommodate multiple people. A golden book was held on her chest.
The book is a sacred tool governed by the goddess of wisdom and is filled with the art of ruling this country, and just the cover adorned with beautiful magic stones, including the great god's precious color, is awe-inspiring.

The two have been best friends since they met at the Noble Academy, but when Victoria opened the border gate of her territory to request reinforcements, Siegfried felt the title was a bit heavy.
Even though Victoria had obtained the Book of the Goddess, her inner self had not changed at all. She showed no signs of pride at having obtained the symbol of royal authority or achieved the greatest feat in the country. Her heart is beautiful, but one worries that she might get caught up in evil.

Though being a somewhat unbecoming busybody for an aristocrat, Siegfried chose to fight alongside her best friend. By birth, the Goddess of Wisdom is the youngest of all the family gods. The more family gods there are to protect her, the better, right? She has revived the correct religious rites and their meanings. The religious rites handed down in the Realm of Fire are one of them. Starting with Siegfried, there are plenty of knights who would like to step forward to become family members of the god of fire.

Siegfried moved her mount and moved down to Victoria's side.
"Did you get any information?" She asked, trying not to look at the inside of the Book of the Goddess.
Victoria nodded vigorously, "Yes."

"In order to forcibly fuse a living magical beast like that, it is necessary to pass a new magical circuit through it. This is fundamentally different from getting stronger by consuming the opponent's body or magic stones."
"What a thing."

"Yes. It seems to be using the earth attribute to suppress the repulsion and buy time. The parts where the repulsion is suppressed seem to have an appearance that is a mixture of multiple characteristics."
Hearing this, the surrounding knights and Siegfried enhanced their eyesight and looked at the magical beast on the ground. The wound was obscured by the black liquid, but in places the scales had thinned and were approaching the smooth skin next to it. The color was somewhere between blue scales and yellow skin.

"There is a spot that looks like it. Is that the weak point?"
"Yes, it seems best to pound it with strong magical power with the force of gouging it out." By suddenly destroying a relatively familiar spot with low repulsion, the balance of the whole thing is lost and it self-destructs. That's what Victoria explained.

"It seems easier to target than a magic stone whose location is unknown." Siegfried cast her gaze to the ground, where the wriggling monster roared. Victoria gently lowered her eyes, and Siegfried stepped forward to block her and the monster. Even a knight who is used to it would be frightened by a monster made by toying with many lives.

"Magical attacks on a spot with strong absorbing properties will be counterproductive."
"It would be different if you could pound magic into it until it turned into gold dust..."
"That would be impossible for anyone other than Lady Victoria." Siegfried chuckled, remembering the previous Ditter that had broken out, in which Victoria's marriage was at stake. The match, made possible by her brother's love and recklessness, ended with Victoria's victory. It is a legendary story in the Fire Territory that her brother used the black magic stone shield, the treasure of the territory, as a trump card, and Victoria turned it into gold powder to repel him. At the same time, Siegfried's position worsened as a result of her defeat.

Siegfried threw herself into the battlefield, despite still being a minor, in order to clear her own name and to protect Victoria as a friend, who had not changed her attitude towards the side that had suddenly challenged Ditter.
"I'll throw the Leidenschaft spear."

"Lady Siegfried!"
Victoria's eyes widened at the suggestion. It was not surprising that she, a candidate for lord of the Fire Territory, was able to use the sacred tools of the fire god, but she said that putting herself at the forefront was something that could not be overlooked.

"If you need magic, I can help."
"No, Lady Victoria has a different mission."
The lord candidate began to propose a plan, and while both of their aides exchanged glances, wondering if it was okay, Siegfried insisted that this was the best option.

"Take the wind shield into my hand." As Victoria recited a prayer, a hemispherical shield appeared on the ground with a clear "Keen!" sound. The pale yellow of the shield, like a veil that allowed the other side to be seen through, created an elegant magic circle that seemed stronger than any armour.

"When I give the signal, please make holes in the shield only where I instructed!"
Victoria nodded vigorously. Siegfried laughed softly and recited "Lanze!" She readied the sacred item of the fire god, which was covered in blue flames similar to her cloak.

"Leidenschaft, god of fire who governs growth and battle, and the twelve gods who serve at my side, hear my prayer and grant me holy power, and grant me a spear of fire to pierce my enemies."
The magical power poured into it crackled and sparkled, and the tip began to glow with the precious color of summer.

"Now!"
Giving orders, Siegfried rode her mount. Even though she couldn't see, she understood as if she could see Victoria releasing part of her shield. It was a strange feeling. The spear she threw split in the air and rained down in the same place. The situation was decided.

◇

"We've come a long way..."
Siegfried looked up at the moon rising in the sky through the glass ceiling of the greenhouse. She looked around with interest at the plants that were not suited to the climate of her territory and that she had never seen before. "You said the same thing when we crossed the border gate."

Victoria, the host, laughed. "We weren't in the mood to do that when we crossed the border gate."
The two looked at each other and chuckled. Both of their aides looked as if they wanted to say, "That's not the issue," which was really funny.

The battle was over near the border and in the capital, and Siegfried was invited to the victory banquet, which led to her visiting the Shield Territory. It is rare for a minor archduke candidate to visit another territory. For Siegfried, whose mother was from the territory, the only opportunity to visit another territory was when she got married. However, she travelled between two territories in succession as a reinforcement while still a minor. There is no doubt that this is unprecedented.

"Aren't you tired?"
"You as well, Lady Victoria."

Victoria gave a bitter smile at her concerned words. Siegfried's experience on the battlefield has also put her off an invitation from Schlaftraum. Victoria changed the topic.
"Thank you for coming all the way out here to respond to our request for reinforcements. However, if we were unable to fight on our own territory and needed your help, we could not have thought of it coming from any other country than the Martial Territory."

"Both myself and the knights have had rare experience, so I would rather express my gratitude. Besides, this is not just a battle between territories, but one that involves the center, so as a higher-ranking territory, we cannot overlook it. There has been little opposition within the territory compared to previous examples."

"It sounds like there has been a precedent... Ah. It was in the history book I borrowed from you before," Victoria said, clapping her hands. Siegfried was not completely opposed to being praised for understanding the history of her territory.

"Yes, some of the lords of our territory were very righteous and often lent a hand in the disputes of other territories. Among women, the first wife, who provided a firm guarantee and prevented the territory from falling into disarray, is spoken of as the ideal wife. In the first place, getting involved in the disputes of other territories is usually not approved by anyone other than knights."

"So knights agree."
"That's the nature of the knights of our territory."

"That's right, I realized it again this time. I've seen your love for Ditter many times, but the word "real Ditter" brings out even more power in you.”
"To my territory, a real Ditter is like a magic spell that doesn't require any magical power. The replies from the territory to the report are filled with feelings of "I wish I could have participated too."”

"I'm worried that the First Lady is having a hard time controlling them..."
"Yes, I'm also afraid of whether Mother will praise me or scold me for not controlling the knights enough."

"I think Siegfried did her best." In stark contrast to her appearance on the battlefield, Siegfried now looks somewhat timid and stares at her best friend in a fluster. Whether she looks like a candidate for the lordship of the Martial Domain or a young girl of marriageable age, she is nothing but a precious best friend to Victoria.

However, she understands well that as a candidate for the lordship, she must hide the latter side of herself. "It's only because of your kind cooperation that we were able to achieve all of our victories. On the contrary, I personally feel filled with apologies for having stuck with you for longer than we had originally promised."

“It must be a difficult situation, exhausting and unable to sleep after being on the brink of certain death," Victoria said, lowering her eyes.
"Especially in the southern battle, I couldn't have survived on my own. Even if no one there rose to the top, there are certainly those who were seriously injured. It was I who dragged them around more than we had promised, and put them in danger..."
Victoria's healing had reduced the damage, but not everyone was able to live the same way they had before they were injured.

“Lady Victoria, as I have said many times, we chose to participate in the battle ourselves. We even held a selection process, so I believe that it was an honourable role for our territory. I would like to apologize to you and everyone else." Siegfried sighed, looking like she was about to cry. Victoria tilted her head, unable to think of any reason.

"It is a magical tool with an absorbing effect. Our magical power ended up strengthening the enemy, didn't it? I heard that the damage to the knights of the Gibe territory was great. We were the ones who dealt the final blow, but no matter how we win, the knights who died will not come back..."

Is that what is keeping Siegfried from Schlaftraum's invitation and tormenting her? Victoria finally understood. Victoria, who was not a fighting force in the first place, was tormented by memories of the battlefield that she experienced with her five senses, such as the sights and sounds of the battlefield and the smell of blood.

"The knights of my territory were fortunate to be fighting in a place where Lady Victoria's healing could reach them more easily. Shouldn't Lady Victoria's knights be the ones you protect first? I am truly sorry that we, the reinforcements, were safe and that we were unable to save the knights of this territory who were desperately holding on..."

Victoria quietly shook her head in regret. The ideal outcome would be to send not a single person to the Supreme God, but it was obviously impossible to respond perfectly to an opponent who had prepared so thoroughly and whose unfathomable malice meant that not a single drop was spilled.

"Siegfried, without you all, I would not have been able to destroy the foundations there, nor would I have been able to bring him back alive. The battles with the foreign countries and the battles in the south would have been very difficult. We may have even lost our guardian knight."
Siegfried folded her hands on the table, her eyes quietly watering.

"Please do not deny the achievements of Siegfried, who, despite being a minor, took on the life of a knight and fought in an unknown land." Victoria reached across the table and placed her hand on Siegfried's.
"Let us pray."

"A prayer...?" Siegfried looked at her friend with eyes that looked ready to burst.
"Yes, let us mourn the dead together. Please join me in offering a prayer of thanks to those who, as dawn breaks, climb the stairs leading to the highlands where the Supreme God resides."

Siegfried looked up in surprise. A drop fell. "Would you like to pray for the dead with me...?"
"Yes."
Did I say something that offended her? Victoria tilted her head.

"I was raised to be taught that we should not mourn the death of a knight. It is the duty of the family to mourn the knights who lost their lives fighting to protect the land, protect their lord, protect their friends and family... and above all to protect their beliefs. I was told that it is the duty of the lord's family to praise their bravery and hard work and provide generous compensation so that the bereaved families can recover. Is it okay for me, who has no connection to them, to offer a prayer for the knights of this land who lost their lives because of something beyond my power?"

"I don't think that Siegfried and her people's teachings are wrong, but this is a foreign territory that has been helped by everyone. I think it is enough to mourn the dead."
I hope that Siegfried's regret will be sublimated, leaving only the feeling of mourning the dead. Praying in her heart, Victoria stopped the attendants from replacing the tea and moved on to give instructions to the guardian knights. Siegfried stood up, led by Victoria's hand.

The two and their attendants dismounted onto the balcony of the main building on their mounts. Looking out over the noble quarter, it was completely dark and silent.
"We've been talking for quite some time. It's now time for everyone to head to the Supreme God."

As the sky began to lighten, Victoria gave a wry smile. Looking over Siegfried and her attendants, she recited a model prayer for sending off the deceased.
"We use the sacred implements of the God of Life for funerals, but since this is a prayer, it's fine to keep the Schtappe."

"Neither I nor my attendants have yet mastered the sacred implements of the God of Life."
Siegfried took out her Schtappe with a wry smile. "The supreme gods who rule the lofty and majestic sky are the husband and wife gods of darkness and light."

Following Victoria, everyone spoke their prayers with their Schtappes in hand.
"Hear our prayers and grant your blessing to those who are heading to the heights. This is a song of mourning for you. May you bestow your protection on our never-returning guests."
Golden and dark lights shot out from Victoria's Schtappe and rose into the sky. Following suit, lights of blessings rose from everyone's Schtappes.

"Lady Victoria, did they hear my prayer?"
"I'm sure they did."
"...I prayed for them, and I feel as if I have been blessed."

Victoria's cheeks relaxed as she was given a smile that was not a pretence of aristocracy, but one that was filled with true peace.
"May they rest in peace... Now, as Siegfried said, all that remains is to pass on their achievements and compensate their surviving families. We must create a territory where their surviving families and descendants can live in peace."

"Yes, I would like to bring back the experience I gained in the battles here and use it for the good of the territory."
As the two of them talked, there were just a few tears of regret in their eyes. But their eyes were fixed on the future of themselves and the territory, far into the distance.

And so the long night of the battle dawned.
With the arrival of the Goddess of Light, peace returned to the Land of the Shield.

Chapter Text

Hannelore arrived at Alexandria's tea party room right on time. As usual, she exchanged greetings and invited me to take a seat. Now that all the lectures that were delayed due to the goddess's descent have finished, I thought she would be quite busy socializing, but it seems that the territory that challenged her to a bride-taking Ditter and its subordinate territory have refused to socialize.

She is able to cut off social interactions that she knows will be unpleasant, so she spends her days fulfillingly even though she is busy. Among them, she said that Alexandria and Ehrenfest (of course, she is referring to Charlotte), who fought alongside her, are healing, which made me happy. If Ferdinand were there, he would probably scold her for letting her guard down, but from Dunkelfelger's perspective, being friends who fought together is a fairly trustworthy evaluation.

I've been heartbroken at the thought that there should be no such thing as friendship between aristocrats, but now that we've all been dragged into the gods' affairs and she's even become a witness to the Starknot, I want to make up my mind and continue calling Hannelore my friend. I was thinking about this as I watched her smile at the new sweets, even though she seemed quite annoyed at being called the "second incarnation of the goddess."

...Well, I'll have to cheer her up a bit with a new book manuscript, just like a friend who loves books!

After a round of updates and a moment of satisfaction from the sweets, the civil servant handed over the manuscript. It was written by Elantura and it was the story of Hannelore and me defending Ehrenfest. I hadn't even read it so as not to accidentally give away any spoilers. I'd been strictly ordered not to start reading it on the spot as Hannelore wanted to take it home, but Hannelore's eyes lit up as she wanted to read it right away. Watched by her aides who looked on in surprise, we both lowered our eyes to the manuscript. It's like a mini book club and it's a lot of fun.

According to Elvira's letter, our story is composed of a battle part based on the Gerlach battle, and a somber part at the greenhouse tea party. Both events left a strong impression on me. I was reluctant to talk about recalling the battle with Graozam in detail, so I asked her to make as many changes as possible. I remember saying something like, "What about a magical tool with an inanimate body that moves?" I wanted to avoid the vivid scenes of a living human body being modified. Elvira listened to me sincerely, but...

...Yurgenschmidt was a little too quick to come up with the concept of giant robots.
It's better not to spread the idea of replacing the bodies of people with magical powers with magic stones too much as a story. There's my fear of magic stones, the bereaved family... and Matthias's feelings, but I don't want the lives of criminals and flesh-eating soldiers to be toyed with by mad people.

I explained that it had an inhuman appearance, and that with Jurgen's current technology, no one would be able to carry it out, but sadly, the idea of a robot with a mechanical body didn't come across very well. For Elvira's generation, "magical tools that move around independently" meant Schwarz and Weiss, who worked energetically at the Noble Academy Library. My creation of the combat-specialized Schmil probably only added to this feeling. It was only natural that they would think of a magical beast when they saw one that moved around on its own.

As the wife of the Knight Commander, Elvira had come to the conclusion that the concept of a magical beast that terrified the knights of Ehrenfest was the Lord of Winter. But the setting was spring.

Also, the Lord of Winter caused blizzards, so he rarely scattered bodily fluids everywhere and the ground was covered in white snow. From the perspective of a knight, the dismemberment and final finishing touches seemed like a rather beautiful end.

So, it was typical of Elvira to go in the direction of collecting magical beasts that were creepy even from a knight's perspective and creating a chimera-like creature. Roderich, who wrote the copy, also expressed his admiration and regret for the idea, while avoiding spoilers. Perhaps the giant robot was an idea that should have been left to Roderich.

I wonder if he picked up on my dislike of Talfrosch. He wrote it as a representative of slippery, slimy creatures, as expected. The enemy descriptions were excellent, and I was able to read through Hannelore's trick riding, Leidenschaft's spear, and my part, which was full of saintliness. The second half was a little lyrical, as is typical of Elvira's writing, but it was mostly close to the conversation we had in the greenhouse.

"I can't help but feel that you're writing me as if I'd achieved a great deal of military feat..."
Those were Hannelore's first words. I was impressed that this is how a noble would rephrase "I'm not fighting such a terrible enemy, it's wrong," but it seemed that she enjoyed reading the story.

She had landed a hit on Graozam in real battle, but the cyborg Graozam used her as a magical supply to strengthen him. There were casualties among the Gybe Knights. Even after the victory celebration at Ehrenfest, Hannelore was still sick from that incident.
"I was surprised that it had become a rather fictional event. It felt like the attention was drawn to Hannelore's exploits, without mentioning Graozam's body or the foundations of the Gybe mansion. It felt like Hannelore was being blamed for my destruction of the Gybe mansion, as a huge hole caused by using a spear..."

"No, if the surrounding area becomes a little rough, and it's a necessary attack, then it won't be a disgrace in Dunkelfelger."
She nodded vigorously, and this time I became worried.
"Are you okay? I heard that the Ditter tales increased the momentum for treasure stealing Ditters throughout the territory, but isn't the same thing likely to happen?"

The fact that Hannelore (temporary) is using the Leidenschaft spear in the story is likely to add to that. The Schzeria shield is hard to use for attacks, and not everyone can obtain the Grutrissheit, so I'm not worried, but the spear is a bit.

"That's... no point in worrying now. Unless the people of Dunkelfelger have the protection of a god of war, they are unlikely to pray to other families. We need to make them endure the long wait for the Leidenschaft spear with their admiration."
Hannelore said this casually, and it reminded me of Sieglinde from some time ago. The night tea party is a fond memory for both of us. There were no particular requests for revisions.

And, if there was a wish, she had thought of a name to use for herself in the story, which I had told her. The name "Siegfried" means victory, and is said to be a very auspicious name in Dunkelfelger. By the way, Elvira came up with the name for the character that sounds like me. I thought maybe Karstedt had asked her about the name "Rozemyne", but I won't tell anyone. My (temporary) name is "Victoria", which also means victory, and we looked at each other and laughed at the unexpected coincidence.

When we got all the names together, the request to come up with a name for a fictional character modelled after oneself was quite a heavy burden for someone from Yurgenschmidt who is not used to enjoying fiction. While the names that were derived from ancestors stood out, Florencia's enthusiastic name was well received by Hannelore. It seems that Ferdinand, who prevented me from calling myself Ahrensbach, also gained stock.

"I will also get the Leidenschaft spear."

After finishing her story, Hannelore left with a bright smile. In reality, it probably won't be in time, but I can easily imagine Hannelore swinging her sacred spear in the Bride-stealing Ditter and repelling suitors. No, even without the sacred tool, she is likely to achieve military feats that go beyond stories.

I returned to my room and started working on the letter again. I realized once again that it was thanks to Ferdinand that I didn't have to call myself Ahrensbach, so I wrote it down as a story that Elvira would be happy about. I also wrote down several ideas for the title of the book that I was asked to write.

My favorite is a collaboration with Hannelore. We racked our brains together to sublimate the hassle of being called the incarnation of the goddess through creativity.

Also, even if you can't summon a real god, everyone who fights hard for someone is a wonderful being. With that prayer in mind, I wrote the letter.

Chapter Text

"...I never thought she would be so happy."
"Oh, Lady Rozemyne, she must have been very happy to hear that mother-in-law wrote her request."

It's been a year and three seasons since my youngest daughter, who became the lord of another territory while still a minor, left me on a journey after proposing a book that had never been written before.
The book I wrote about the women of the Ehrenfest defense battle sold well, far beyond my expectations. This was probably due in part to the fact that it was during the reign of Zent, the woman chosen to be Zent by the incarnation of the goddess, both female.

It was a lot of hard work to write a collection of stories that had never been written before. While basing the story on the reality of the battles between territories, it was really difficult to conceal the battle between the lord and his sister over the foundations, and the balance within the lord's family at the time, and ultimately make it seem like a fictional story. Aurelia's story initially leaned towards a knight's tale, which was quite far removed from reality, but at her request, we changed it to place more emphasis on the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law than on the battles. It was a very happy discovery that Aurelia and my grandchild survived without being implicated, and that she was able to talk to me about a new book in a house where everyone except the second son had left home, and that she was able to express her own opinions in this way.

By revising her story, Brigitte's story as a knight ended up being very brave, but she accepted it as an honour. Aurelia and the civil servants in my house told me that if demand for books increased, it would be good for the paper industry in her hometown, and that it would be easier for her than being the main character in a love story... "It seems that family stories resonate with her more than love stories."

"That's typical of Lady Rozemyne."
I wholeheartedly agreed and looked at the letter from my youngest daughter once more. The letter, decorated with the Alexandria crest, was mostly just a review of the book. It's good to see that she hasn't changed. The story of Aurelia and me, which was born after Aurelia accepted her wish, seemed to particularly resonate with Rozemyne.

Even though she was separated from her real family, she was able to look forward, and was heartbroken when other families were torn apart, and was able to reach out to help.
She also took along the Greys, who knew her private duties and her past well. I'm sure that she was able to reunite with her real family in Alexandria. As a young Lord, she seems to have many difficulties in her work, but I can tell from my sons' letters that Rozemyne seems to be living a happy life.

Even if we could keep her and her family alive here, it may have been difficult for them to live happily. It seems that a little bit of a strain had been building up since she had fallen ill from poison and left for the Noble Academy without even having time to make up for the two-year gap. The engagement was decided by the lord's will, she was separated from Ferdinand, her Erwachleren, earlier than planned, and summoned by the royal family as the only way to save the country...

It's a pathetic story that the lord's family relies on children because there are not enough adults, and that they try to forcefully recruit a mid-ranking lord candidate because there is no suitable candidate in the royal family or in the higher territories. She probably wouldn't blame me, but I wanted to give her an education that would allow her to be a strong shield without leaving any gaps, and to provide this house as a place of comfort like the temple. She saved me, my hometown, and my sons.

I was so happy when she asked me to write a book. From Rozemyne's perspective, she may have wracked her brains to save her sister-in-law, but this isn't the first time I've been saved by her advice in writing a story.
I'm also proud to have been chosen to be the one to entrust a story that had never been written before. When I tried it, I found that it was a type of story I'd never experienced before, and I remember struggling a little to find harmony in a book filled with multiple stories.

If it were a love story, I would be careful not to lean too much towards happy endings or tragic love, and there are plenty of subjects, from those who died long ago to those who have graduated in recent years.
However, this book is based on a specific incident, so I couldn't use that method. When I asked Rozemyne and her aides to check the current situation, which was the subject of the book, I asked for her opinion. She seemed to have interpreted it as me being considerate so that she could read it quickly...

She sent me a letter filled with advice, and I was able to get some advice when we met during the territory competition. I was reminded that even though they are both "knight-mothers," Aurelia and Brigitte have completely different conditions for victory. As the wife of the commander of the Knights, I could only see victory in the form of a successful defense. I was prepared for another battle to protect Aurelia, one that would involve socializing and laying the groundwork, if we were to win.

...I might have been able to ease Aurelia's regret when she left her child behind, but it would have been difficult to tell her to live in peace, like Rozemyne, who denied any involvement.
I was also given advice on the book's "genre"...categorization. Although she said there is no clear-cut category like love stories, she called this book a story of "relationships."

She also repeated the word "human drama," but I couldn't understand what it meant. Apparently, dramatic stories that arise in the human world from relationships between people are called "dramas." "Drama" doesn't sound bad, but it's a completely new word, so I put it on hold. It's a bit long, but the suggestion of a story about relationships is exactly the advice of the goddess of language. There will surely be more stories that can't be classified as either love stories or knight tales, so for now we can just categorize them that way and categorize them from now on.

Or you could say that stories that focus on romantic relationships are simply independent as "love stories". The sister bond between Lieselotte and Angelica, the unity of the aides, the solidarity between Charlotte and Brunhilde, and the friendship between women between Rozemyne and Hannelore. You can name them now, and even if you don't have a name, it won't make them any less brilliant.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment in having written down the various relationships that connect women fighting in the face of a great crisis, without being fixated on romantic or marital relationships, and it gave me an ambition to surprise her with a story I write next time. Ten years ago, I never imagined I would become a writer, or lead such an eventful and fulfilling life.

"...This book turned out well, thanks to Aurelia, Rozemyne, and my mother, who lent me her name."

"Yes, I'm also happy to be able to keep my mother's name alive in this way."

It was also an unexpected benefit that Aurelia, who said she had always wanted to be a civil servant, started helping me with my work. These are truly exciting days.

◇

A knight who led the charge in her hometown, which had become the front line.

The mistress and her entourage who guard the castle and the lord's back.

The older knight sister who marches with her lord, and the younger attendant sister who remains to protect what is important to the lord.

The young girl who shoulders the heavy responsibility of being the next lord, and the future second wife who provides support from the rear and supports the next lord.

The daughter-in-law who broke away from her hometown, which had become enemy territory, and the mother-in-law who supported her.

The girls who were candidates for lords ran together on the battlefield.

Known as a new frontier for the master of love stories, Elantura, and named "Goddesses of the Shield Land" by her daughter, the first Aube Alexandria, the book is still being read somewhere in Yurgenschmidt today.

fin