Emergency Summons from the Sovereignty

“I shall escort you.”

“We’ll pass in front of the dormitory, correct? I’ve already sent word—my retinue should be awaiting.”

“Understood.”

I left the classroom together with the scholar. The pace was quicker than I had expected. On the way to the transfer door connecting to the Zent’s palace, there was also a path leading to Dunkelfelger’s dormitory. I couldn’t help but wonder whether Cordula and the others would make it in time.

As the dormitory door came into view, it opened and out stepped Cordula, Andrea, and several younger attendants. It was clear from the group’s makeup that they had scrambled to gather whomever was immediately available. For some reason, Kenntrips also emerged from behind them.

“Are you one of Lady Hannelore’s retinue?”

“Indeed. I was informed there is an emergency summons from the Zent. I will thus be accompanying my lady,” Cordula told the Zent’s scholar, then began walking alongside him. Kenntrips silently reached out and took my hand.

“Why are you here, Kenntrips? I heard from Rasantark that you’ve been quite busy.”

“When I returned after finishing the exam I had requested from the professor, I happened to see Lady Cordula hurrying down the stairs…”

Since the number of retainers she had gathered on short notice was small, he had been asked to come along as a fiancé candidate to bolster the group.

“Still, what happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know either. I only received urgent summons via ordonnanz during class. But if it’s something urgent enough to call me like this, I believe it’s probably related to a goddess or something concerning Lady Rozemyne.”

As we passed the doors to each dormitory, the unused doors, the doors that had once led to the royal family’s detached palaces or the old royal palace—beyond them all was the teleportation door to the building now used as Zent Eglantine’s palace. When the scholar called out to the knights, they opened the door.

When they entered, the scholar came to a stop in front of the reception room door to the left side of the entrance hall. He informed the knight standing at the door of our arrival, then turned to address us before the door was opened.

“Only royalty and members of the archducal family are allowed in the room today. All retainers must wait in the second waiting room over there.”

…The second waiting room? That must mean someone is already using the first one, doesn’t it?

I glanced briefly toward the doors lined up on the opposite side of the hall, in the direction the scholar had indicated. It wasn’t unusual for the Zent to dismiss retainers when discussing confidential matters, but it did seem unusual that they weren’t even allowed inside to escort us.

“Please, Lady Hannelore. We are not permitted to enter the room either,” the scholar added.

I hadn’t expected even the Zent’s own retainers to be dismissed. The knight only opened the door, and the scholar merely gestured for me to enter. All I could see from the doorway was a folding screen.

Everyone present was simply waiting for me to step inside. With my retainers watching me with anxious eyes, I entered the room alone and walked around to the other side of the screen.

As I entered the reception hall, heart pounding with anticipation, I found myself face-to-face with Zent Eglantine and Lord Ferdinand. I had heard from Lady Letizia that his existence was fading, so I hadn’t expected to see him looking so well—and certainly not here. I gasped in surprise.

…Lord Ferdinand!? But then… where is Lady Rozemyne?

That was when I realized—this wasn’t normal. For a discussion with the Zent, it made no sense for Lady Rozemyne, the Aub, to be absent while only her fiancée, Lord Ferdinand, was present. Lady Rozemyne had gone to the past, guided by the gods, to reconnect Lord Ferdinand’s severed threads. If he had returned… then surely, her role was already complete.

…Why isn’t Lady Rozemyne here? I have a bad feeling about this.

Zent Eglantine had called me over, and I had greeted them both before taking the indicated seat. Despite having dismissed all attendants, they had even activated a sound-blocking magic tool—it had to be a highly confidential matter. Judging by the people present, there could be no doubt: this was about Lady Rozemyne.

After taking a polite sip of the tea I had been offered, I turned immediately to Lord Ferdinand and asked my question.

“Lord Ferdinand, you’ve returned… Um, where is Lady Rozemyne?”

“Lady Rozemyne has not yet returned. Therefore, I have a question for you, Lady Hannelore.”

“What is it?” I asked.

As I leaned forward slightly, expecting to be questioned about the circumstances of the goddess’s descent—as I had already been asked several times and had grown used to explaining it—Lord Ferdinand narrowed his eyes ever so slightly. Though his face wore a gentle smile, his eyes did not reflect that at all.

A chill ran down my spine, goosebumps rising on my arms as I was seized by an urge to leap back and summon my shield. Then, with that same unreadable smile, Lord Ferdinand asked:

“What did you wish for from the goddess?”

”…From the goddess?” I echoed.

I gently raised a hand to my cheek and tilted my head, averting my gaze slightly in a gesture of searching through my memories. A cold sweat began to form as I realized something dreadful.

…I seemed to have made far too many wishes to the gods.

There were simply too many possibilities. Which wish, from when, could he possibly be asking about!?

Perhaps it was when I wished for more options, dissatisfied with my fiancé candidates. Or maybe it was when I directly wished to go to the world from a year ago after Lady Rozemyne traveled to the past—since that involved the gods as well. Oh, and more recently, I wished not to give up on Kenntrips.

…I don’t know which wish he means, but whichever it is, I absolutely don’t want anyone else to know about it!

“Um, Lord Ferdinand. Why do you need to know what I wished for? It’s a very personal matter, so I would rather not share it without knowing the reason or the purpose behind asking.”

When I gently refused to answer, Lord Ferdinand’s unsettling smile only deepened, sending a shiver down my spine. However, Zent Eglantine nodded and said, “That’s quite understandable,” in agreement.

“The reason we dismissed our retainers is because we believed an explanation would be necessary. Lord Ferdinand, if you would please explain to Lady Hannelore.”

With that, she urged him to speak, then began to sip her tea slowly. Her seemingly indifferent demeanor made it clear she already understood the situation. After taking a sip of his own tea, Lord Ferdinand finally began to speak.

“You’ve heard what happened to me from Letizia and Liseletta, have you not?”

“Yes. I’ve heard that you suddenly lost consciousness and became translucent, and that after Lady Rozemyne returned to the duchy and suspected divine involvement, she was summoned by a goddess… but that’s about all I know. I haven’t reported any of it to my retainers or to my duchy.”

I conveyed the information I had received and how I had handled it. Lord Ferdinand nodded thoughtfully with a quiet “hmm,” as if weighing my words.

”…When did you regain consciousness, Lord Ferdinand?”

“Yesterday morning.”

He explained that as soon as he woke, he contacted the Alexandrian dormitory, but the reply he received said that Lady Rozemyne had still not returned from the world of the gods.

“Then I moved to the dormitory, received an explanation of the current state of the Royal Academy from Letizia, and contacted the Zent as well.”

“Lady Rozemyne went to the past in order to reconnect your threads, didn’t she? In that case, wouldn’t it be natural for there to be a time difference between when you regained consciousness and when she returned from the world of the gods to the Royal Academy?”

Zent Eglantine said this with a wry smile. I found myself agreeing, having spoken with several gods in the divine realm. Even if the threads were successfully reconnected, it didn’t necessarily mean Lady Rozemyne would be released immediately.

“I told him to wait,” she continued. “And yet Lord Ferdinand insisted that if Lady Rozemyne hadn’t returned by today’s lunchtime, he would inquire with the gods himself…”

“You mean you inquired with the gods…? Is that even possible without Lady Rozemyne?”

“You saw it during the Zent transference ceremony, didn’t you? If one goes to the Garden of Beginnings, it is possible to make inquiries,” the she replied.

…That thing where she ascended the altar and vanished? So, that means the Zent took action for Lord Ferdinand’s personal request, doesn’t it?

I turned my gaze toward Zent Eglantine. She had been too busy with all the matters surrounding the Bride-Stealing Ditter, to the point that even my request for an audience had been denied. She herself had said something like, “If we wait a little longer, she may return…” and yet, she had gone out of her way to take action just to inquire with the gods. Why?

It was almost as if Lord Ferdinand held some sort of leverage over her, and I couldn’t help but find it all rather strange.

“I would have preferred to act yesterday, if possible…”

“Lord Ferdinand waited until this afternoon so that the auditorium could be cleared,” Zent added.

The auditorium at the Royal Academy was also used for student classes. By now, the number of students attending had likely dwindled enough that relocating them to smaller classrooms wouldn’t be an issue. Still, it seemed the Zent had been made to handle all the coordination and formalities necessary to make that happen in just a single day.

…My sympathies.

“So then, Lord Ferdinand, did you inquire with the gods?” I asked.

“It was the Zent who inquired,” Lord Ferdinand said.

“Zent is the intermediary between gods and mortals, after all.”

He smiled at me, and I nodded in agreement. Honestly, I felt Lord Ferdinand could probably inquire of the gods himself if he wanted to—but it was probably best not to press that point.

“I asked Earwarmen why Lady Rozemyne hadn’t returned, even though she should have finished tying your thread,” she continued.

However, the response she received was, “lend your aid in fulfilling the wish of the girl who accepted the Goddess of Time in the goddess’s stead. In return, you may take the girl to the starting point of this situation.”

“It was you, Lady Hannelore, who summoned the goddess of time. I believe that by fulfilling your wish and bringing you to that gazebo, we will be able to understand Lady Rozemyne’s situation. Whether she will speak to us or we will have to go and retrieve her from the realm of the gods, I do not yet know the details…”

Upon hearing her words, I felt as if the world had suddenly opened up before me. The only wish I had asked of the gods, that had yet to be fulfilled was the matter of Kenntrips. This meant he could now be allowed to participate in the bride-stealing ditter.

“In other words, you will grant my wish in place of the goddess? Zent Eglantine, I would like to…”

“Lady Hannelore, I was not the one who wished to seek guidance from the gods regarding Lady Rozemyne’s whereabouts. That was Lord Ferdinand.”

With a gentle smile, the Zent clarified that she would not be the one fulfilling my wish and instead gestured toward Lord Ferdinand. When I turned my gaze to him, he gave a small shake of his head.

“I will only assist in fulfilling your wish. I was not told to grant it entirely. Please do not misunderstand.”

“Lady Hannelore, if Lord Ferdinand helps grant your wish, then as compensation, you must go to the gazebo. Please consider this carefully before making your decision.”

”…Ah. Yes.”

I nodded, suddenly sobered by the weight of the condition.

After being carefully warned by both of them, my excitement cooled in an instant. But my answer remained unchanged. I couldn’t come up with any good ideas on my own. If Lord Ferdinand could pressure the Zent into doing something as unthinkable as consulting the gods, then surely getting Kenntrips into the bride-stealing ditter would be a simple matter for him.

“I ask for your assistance, Lord Ferdinand. I wish to have Kenntrips, my fiancé candidate, participate in the bride-stealing ditter. Is there any good way to make that happen?”

”…I apologize, but may I ask for the details? Why is it that a fiancé candidate of Dunkelfelger is unable to participate in the bride-stealing ditter?”

It seemed Lord Ferdinand was well-versed in Dunkelfelger’s customs. I explained everything that had happened since the goddess descended—how restrictions had been unexpectedly placed on the ditter under the Zent’s supervision, and my father’s judgment on the matter.

“I thought I could simply ask the Zent who imposed the restrictions… but I was turned down…”

“That is entirely reasonable on the Zent’s part. If you want someone to act, you must first lay the groundwork and present a suitable pretext. It’s only natural to be refused if you ask directly,” Lord Ferdinand said, sounding very much like a tutor as he tapped lightly at his temple with a fingertip.

“There is a way to make it possible without forcing the Zent to go back on her word or establish a special exception, but…”

“What? There’s a way to make it work!?” I asked, unable to think of any solution myself, while Lord Ferdinand seemed to have arrived at one with ease.

“I can’t say anything definitive until I’ve heard from this fiancé candidate directly. Can you call him here?”

“Yes. He’s in the waiting room,” I replied, reaching to send an ordonnanz—but the Zent stopped me.

“I shall summon him,” she said.

“It’s important that entry to this room be by the Zent’s invitation,” she said. “Ah, we’ll need to bring in the attendants as well and add more seats. Shall we have the tea refreshed too?”

With that, Zent Eglantine sent out an ordonnanz.

“Excuse me,” a voice called.

Kenntrips entered with a tense expression. He sat in the seat the Zent’s attendants had hurriedly prepared and looked at me somewhat uneasily. I could tell he wanted an explanation, but I still didn’t know what Lord Ferdinand intended to do.

“You are Lady Hannelore’s fiancé candidate, correct? I have a few questions. Are you a scholar of the sword?”

“Yes.”

Though the attendant was still pouring tea, Lord Ferdinand didn’t seem to mind at all. He gave Kenntrips a thorough look from head to toe before nodding once.

“You weren’t selected as a knight? Or perhaps you failed the selection?”

“I simply wasn’t chosen.”

“Have you continued your training since then? What is your current ability as a knight?”

“I’ve participated in some training, but as expected, I can’t match the other apprentice knight candidates one-on-one.”

Kenntrips answered with slight confusion at the barrage of questions. Meanwhile, the Zent ordered the attendants who had finished pouring tea to leave the room.

“What are your grades as a scholar, and how many requirements do you have left until graduation?”

“Two exams remain, but I’ve already scheduled them. I plan to complete them within the week. Preparations for the interduchy tournament are complete, but I’d like to make a few final adjustments.”

“I see. That doesn’t seem to be a problem.”

Lord Ferdinand gave a small nod, ending his questions. I couldn’t help but wonder what the purpose of those questions had been. Then, right in front of me, Lord Ferdinand gave Kenntrips a command.

“Then, once you’ve earned your scholar qualification, earn your knight course graduation qualification as well.”

“What!?”

Kenntrips and I both widened our eyes and stared at Lord Ferdinand, then turned to look at each other in surprise.

“If one must be a knight to participate in the bride-stealing ditter, then all you need to do is become a knight. It’s not unusual in the Royal Academy to earn multiple qualifications or take exams beyond one’s current year.”

”…No, I believe it is extremely rare. Especially taking exams beyond one’s year—I know of no one besides Lady Rozemyne, who needed graduation qualifications to become an Aub,” said Zent Eglantine.

I agreed silently in my heart and clenched my skirt tightly. Lord Ferdinand spoke as if it were simple, but this was not something Kenntrips could easily do.

“I appreciate the suggestion, but that is not possible for Kenntrips to do,” I said. “To be precise, it may be possible in other duchies, but for a Dunkelfelger apprentice scholar, it is prohibited. Apprentice scholars or attendants with a martial leaning are forbidden from taking knight course classes.”

“It is only prohibited to take both courses at the same time,” Lord Ferdinand said, raising his brow slightly at my words.

”…What?” I responded, caught off guard.

“A student from Dunkelfelger once threw aside their primary duties as a scholar or attendant, earned only the knight qualification, and tried to forcibly become a knight upon graduation from the Royal Academy. Because of that, it was forbidden to pursue a knight’s graduation qualification concurrently with one’s main course. However, I believe obtaining the knight qualification after earning the primary one is not prohibited.”

…Rather than saying it’s not forbidden, it feels more like you’re exploiting a loophole that was never explicitly addressed.

Since it would be after earning his primary qualification, that meant completing all final-year exams first. Taking all the knight course exams in the remaining short time would be no easy task. The reason it hadn’t been explicitly forbidden was likely because no one had ever attempted it.

“You’re very familiar with Dunkelfelger’s internal affairs, Lord Ferdinand—from the distinction between not being selected and failing, to how knight qualifications are treated.”

At Kentrips’s probing remark, Lord Ferdinand frowned slightly in distaste and said, “Because there was someone who never stopped talking about it during my time at the Royal Academy.”

…That must have been Heisshitze.

Recalling the Dunkelfelger knight who eagerly awaited a ditter match with Lord Ferdinand, I found myself nodding in understanding.

“Though you say it’s not prohibited, will my father truly allow such an exception?”

Even if it was technically possible within the Royal Academy’s system, and the method merely exploited a loophole in Dunkelfelger’s prohibitions, there was no guarantee that Aub Dunkelfelger—my father—would actually grant permission. I felt uneasy, but Lord Ferdinand seemed utterly confident as he declared, “Aub Dunkelfelger will most likely grant permission.”

“Even if he obtains a knight’s qualification, he would only be allowed to perform his primary duties in the duchy and would not be treated as a knight. It would merely grant him eligibility to participate in the bride-stealing ditter… and with that, there’s no reason for the Aub to forbid it.”

It was true. If he desperately earned the knight’s qualification after completing his main course, yet was not permitted to serve as a knight in the future, the nobles of the duchy would have no reason to complain—and no one else would likely be inspired to follow his example.

“More than anything, those of Dunkelfelger tend to favor straightforward fools who, just to participate in the bride-stealing ditter, would earn a scholar’s qualification first and then take all the knight course exams across every grade. In my experience, if you first spread stories of passion and effort among the knights to stir them up, then bring the matter to the Aub, it won’t be flatly forbidden.”

…Um, wasn’t “favoring straightforward fools” kind of an insult?

I couldn’t protest even though he calmly insulted us—because I understood, based on his “personal experience,” just how much trouble Dunkelfelger must have caused Lord Ferdinand over the years.

“Zent Eglantine,” I asked, “is there any issue with Kenntrips obtaining a knight’s qualification? With this method, would he be allowed to participate in the bride-stealing ditter?”

”…Indeed,” she replied. “I don’t need to retract anything I’ve said, nor am I granting an exception that only applies to Dunkelfelger. Even if other duchies object to his status as an apprentice scholar, I can simply respond that he must obtain his knight qualification before the ditter begins—so there’s no issue.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, knowing that the biggest hurdle—obtaining the Zent’s approval—had been cleared.

“But… will he really be alright? The burden will be enormous,” I said.

“That much is to be expected,” Lord Ferdinand replied, then turned his gaze toward Kenntrips.

“The matter of whether you can earn the knight qualification is entirely up to you,” Lord Ferdinand said. “But I don’t consider it impossible. Reckless, perhaps, for a Dunkelfelger knight to try earning a scholar’s qualification—but for a scholar of the sword to aim for a knight’s? It’s not out of reach. After all, it’s the Royal Academy’s passing standards you must meet, not Dunkelfelger’s. Besides, aren’t you already tutoring your knight classmates in the written coursework?”

Kenntrips gave a wry nod, clearly recalling something.

“If it’s just the Academy’s passing marks, then that won’t be an issue. The problem is whether I can finish in time…”

“Right. Have Professor Rauffen arrange the exam schedule for the knight course,” Lord Ferdinand explained. “If you express your desire to overcome the Zent’s restrictions and participate in the bride-stealing ditter, he’ll do everything in his power to assist you. And with the Zent’s endorsement on top of that, the other professors are sure to cooperate as well.”

When Lord Ferdinand glanced her way, Zent Eglantine gave a resigned smile.

“If it’s just a matter of putting in a word with the Academy professors, I’ll do that. After all, it was my restrictions that caused this,” she said.

“We’re very grateful,” I said, thanking her alongside Kenntrips.

Thanks to Lord Ferdinand, a path had opened for him to participate in the bride-stealing ditter. It had all been resolved so easily that I almost felt disheartened about how much I had worried before. But the problem is solved now. All that remained was Kenntrips own effort.

“You can do this, can’t you, Kenntrips?”

“Leave it to me.”

As I smiled and nodded at Kenntrips’ confident reply, Lord Ferdinand addressed me.

“Lady Hannelore,” he said, “Does this suffice to count as fulfilling my part in assisting with your wish?”

“Yes. I’m most grateful,” I replied.

“In that case, let us go.”

Lord Ferdinand set down his teacup and stood, then gestured for me to rise as well.

”…Eh? Um…”

“You are to head to the place where this all began in exchange for my assistance. That was the arrangement, was it not?”

“Well, yes, but…”

…Still, I couldn’t help thinking he might have let me enjoy the moment of joy a little longer.

Feeling a little dissatisfied, I stood up. Zent Eglantine rose as well. Kenntrips, who didn’t understand what was happening, stood too and turned to me, asking for an explanation.

“Lady Hannelore, what does this mean? What do you mean by ‘in exchange’?”

“In exchange for my assistance, Lady Hannelore is to go to the gazebo where the goddess descended. I cannot explain more than that. This meeting was arranged by the Zent precisely so that we could speak of matters that cannot be shared with others. Mind your place.”

Lord Ferdinand ended Kenntrips’ question with just that and turned his gaze to me.

“Lady Hannelore, if we don’t hurry, students will start leaving their classes. It is not ideal for someone like me, who is no longer a student, to be walking freely through the Royal Academy. I’ve heard that this one has accompanied you to the gazebo before. I leave it to you to decide whether he comes with us or returns to the dormitory.”

It seemed that Lord Ferdinand and Lady Eglantine had summoned me during class specifically to avoid the attention of other professors and students. I shifted my gaze from Lord Ferdinand’s back as he walked toward the door, and extended my hand to Kenntrips, seeking his escort.

“You’re coming too, aren’t you, Kenntrips?”

And so, we were headed to the gazebo where the Goddess of Time had descended.