Coordination and Groundwork

“Lady Hannelore, are you saying you can speak to Kenntrips but not to us?”

Even though I had asked that only Kenntrips be called to the meeting room, for some reason, my brother’s retainers, including Rasantark, had also arrived. I instinctively glanced toward Cordula, but she merely raised an eyebrow slightly and made no move to chide their rudeness. It seemed she intended to let me handle their intrusion on my own.

…Most likely, Cordula believes that even if I make a mistake and end up yielding to them, as long as some information can be obtained, that would still be acceptable in her eyes.

Despite the fact that the goddess descended upon me again within the royal palace—an extraordinary occurrence with even the Zent’s retainers excluded—neither the Zent nor Kenntrips immediately called for the others. While I understood that they must have had their reasons, Cordula, as my head attendant, was undoubtedly holding back a seething resentment with nowhere to direct it.

“Kenntrips, what exactly did the Zent say?”

“She instructed that everything which occurred there was to be kept strictly confidential from anyone not present.”

“If the Zent herself gave that order, do you truly believe I would speak of it to anyone other than Kenntrips?”

Having received Kenntrips’ answer, I turned my gaze to the rest of my brother’s retainers. Rasantark stepped forward and said, “This involves ditter, does it not? In that case…”

But I raised my hand slightly to halt him before he could say more.

“No. What I intend to confirm with Kenntrips has nothing to do with ditter. It is quite improper of you to intrude uninvited.”

“But we are the retainers of Lord Lestilaut, the next Archduke of Dunkelfelger. It is our duty to report what has happened in the Royal Academy to him,” said Festellt, stepping in to support Rasantark.

His words, however, made little sense to me.

“You certainly have a duty to report what you have learned to my brother. But why should I be required to report everything to you?”

“Why, you ask…? Lady Hannelore, you are an archduke candidate of Dunkelfelger, and Lord Lestilaut is the next Aub, is he not?”

Festellt spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but I simply couldn’t understand how that justified their stance.

“As I’m sure you’re all aware, it is not uncommon for information sharing to be limited to select individuals. This is standard practice even within Dunkelfelger.”

Even within our duchy, there were countless times when details decided by Father, the Aub, were shared with Mother and my brother as well as his retainers, yet never passed on to me, who was once expected to marry into another duchy. Back when my brother resided in the dormitory, decisions were often made solely by him and his retainers, with selective distribution of information.

“As retainers to members of the archducal family, I believe you understand well the need to restrict information in order to protect certain interests. And yet, why are you pressing me for a report? This time, my brother is not among those authorized to receive this information.”

“Lord Lestilaut is excluded…?”

Their expressions were so thoroughly stunned that I found myself more shocked by their surprise than anything else.

“Is it not only natural that Zent would choose who is permitted to receive information regarding the gods? From Zent’s perspective, I was not a mere archducal candidate of Dunkelfelger in this instance—I was the second avatar of a goddess. I judged that it would be inappropriate for me to speak carelessly, even to my retainers or to my own duchy.”

As I said this, I turned my gaze to my own retainers. Surely, of all those present, they were the ones most desperate to know what had happened—having accompanied me all the way to the royal palace only to be shut away in a waiting room. They were well aware that even the Zent’s own retainers had been excluded and were doing their utmost not to voice their dissatisfaction aloud.

“Without the Zent’s permission, I cannot say anything further. Matters concerning the gods must not be spoken of lightly. Or do you mean to suggest that you are not bound to follow the Zent’s directives?”

“N-no, of course not…”

Though they insisted otherwise, their dissatisfaction was plain to see. I let out a quiet sigh.

“You must understand that things have changed since Lord Trauerqual’s time, when he ruled without the Grutrissheit. The era when a Zent could not act without the support of the greater duchies has come to an end. Zent will no longer yield simply because one is from Dunkelfelger.”

…If Zent Eglantine were to yield to anyone, it would likely only be to Alexandria.

Of course, she would not disregard Dunkelfelger, being the first-ranked duchy. However, when it comes to matters involving the gods, no amount of force or pressure will allow one to push through their will.

Both my brother and I were raised during a time when the Zent lacked the Grutrissheit. However, because I was expected to marry into another duchy, I was strictly warned not to wield our duchy’s authority too brazenly. In contrast, my brother, raised as the future archduke, was taught how to leverage that authority. Naturally, our perspectives on the Zent and other duchies differ greatly—and that disparity clearly extends to the attitudes of his retainers.

“Now that my brother has graduated and is no longer in the dormitory, you, his retainers, are in no position to command or impose anything upon me, an archduke candidate. More importantly, are you even aware of how arrogant you appear, trying to extract information despite knowing that the Zent expressly forbade us from speaking of it?”

At my words, the retainers glanced around—and were met with sharp gazes from every one of my own. It was only natural. These archnobles had attempted to override the Zent’s orders and were persistently pressuring me, an archducal candidate.

”…Our apologies. We shall take our leave.”

My brother’s retainers finally showed signs of withdrawing. All except for Rasantark, who still seemed dissatisfied and was glaring daggers at Kenntrips.

“If so, then why only Kenntrips..? If he was summoned by the Zent merely because he is a prospective fiancé, then should I not have had the right to hear as well.”

“You do not. Kenntrips was summoned to that meeting because we had been discussing whether there was a way for him to participate in the bride-stealing ditter. Even if you had accompanied us to the royal palace, Rasantark, the Zent would not have summoned you. You would have waited in the antechamber with the rest of the retainers, nothing more.”

Without revealing whom I had consulted or the reason for doing so, I firmly denied Rasantarks unspoken attempt to remain.

”…No further discussion is necessary. Step back. The only one I summoned here is Kenntrips, who was present at the scene.”

After driving out my brother’s retainers from the meeting room, I handed Kenntrips a anti-eavesdropping magic tool—sealing off even my own retainers from this conversation.

“Lady Hannelore, I’m sorry to trouble you—truly, you’ve helped me a great deal.”

According to Kenntrips, despite Rasantark being in the middle of a brewing session when I was summoned and couldn’t leave, he still couldn’t accept the fact that Kenntrips—who had been too busy with exams to even escort me before classes—was present at the scene. No matter how many times he explained that it had been by the Zent’s order, Rasantark persistently demanded to know why it had been kept secret. And when the other retainers, eager for information, joined in, Kenntrips found himself in quite the bothersome situation.

“More importantly, I have a message from the Zent. You are forbidden from speaking of this to anyone who wasn’t present at the scene. Also, if you have obtained any information in the world of the gods beyond what the Goddess of Time mentioned, she would like you to share it.”

The Zent was busy as well. She likely believed there was no need to report identical information more than once.

“Understood. Then, let us compare what happened on each side. What kind of discussion did the Goddess of Time have with Lord Ferdinand?”

When I asked, Kenntrips lowered his eyes slightly, as though thinking it over.

“Basically, Lord Ferdinand was being rebuked by the goddess.”

“I had a feeling. In the world of the gods, the goddesses were all voicing complaints about Lord Ferdinand.”

Kenntrips seemed to have imagined as much as well, letting out a sound of understanding. “Ah…”

“The root cause this time seems to be Lord Ferdinand himself. The backlash from attempting a curse reversal with incomplete knowledge had a major impact.”

“A curse reversal? What is that?”

It likely had something to do with the gods, but I had never heard of it before. Kenntrips gave a slight shrug.

“I haven’t looked into the details myself yet. My top priority is participating in the bride-stealing ditter match and finishing the examination… That takes precedence. The Zent said she’d look into it too once she has the time.”

“Is it really okay to put it off?”

Kenntrips nodded in response to my question.

“According to the Goddess of Time the biggest cause seems to be that Lord Ferdinand said something unnecessary instead of using the proper ritual and wording. It’s already over, apparently. It’s not something an ordinary person would ever attempt, and the effects are limited to Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand. Once she returns, it will come to an end.”

”…Then it really can be put off for now.”

Even if it was something worth looking into, it wasn’t something that Kenntrips or the Zent should be spending their time on right now.

“Everyone else spoke as if it were common knowledge… I’m sorry, but I was the only one who didn’t understand anything.”

That couldn’t be helped. There were many things I had come to know during the previous descent of the gods and the private conversation I’d had with the Zent afterward—but Kenntrips knew very little about the relationship between the gods and Yurgenschmidt.

“It’s fine if it’s just what you understood or noticed.”

“It seems they used Lady Rozemyne’s thread to reconnect Lord Ferdinand’s severed one. There appears to be a way to replenish her thread, and it became clear that she wouldn’t return until the necessary materials were acquired. Also, the Goddess of Time seemed to place quite a bit of importance on whether or not Lord Ferdinand would permit the replenishment of her thread. She left a strong impression, as if she were emphasizing that point.”

“I see… But I’m glad Lord Ferdinand gave his permission. The way they spoke made him sound awful—like someone who would use her thread and then refuse to allow it to be restored. They even said he would lash out with complaints…”

As I inadvertently voiced how the goddess seemed to view Lord Ferdinand, Kenntrips grew a little distant in his expression.

“As expected of a goddess. Since it was reckless for Lady Rozemyne to gather the materials alone, Lord Ferdinand at least asked to accompany her… but when the Goddess of Time refused, he actually tried to raise a weapon toward Lady Hannelore’s body.”

“What!?”

I reflexively looked down at my own body. There were no injuries or pain anywhere, but I couldn’t help feeling a chill.

“I wanted to stop him, but I couldn’t even get close. Just as I was about to use a magic tool, wondering if I should attack Lord Ferdinand to stop him, the Goddess of Time spoke. She said that only Lady Rozemyne could gather the materials.”

It seemed that the gods had once caused some sort of trouble for Lady Rozemyne, and as an apology, they would permit her—and her alone—to gather the materials and know the recipe. No one else would be granted permission.

Lord Ferdinand had worn a stern expression the entire time, but he calmed down once he was told that if he left a marker, Lady Rozemyne could be returned to him instead of to the gazebo. The impression I got was that even his show of irritation was calculated—to gain even a slight advantage over the gods or to extract concessions from them.”

Perhaps it was precisely because he engaged in such negotiations with the gods so boldly that their opinion of him had become so dismal.

“At the very least, I came to understand that unless one can negotiate at that level with the gods, one cannot remain the consort of a goddess’s avatar. Lord Wilfried was right when he said that unless you think several steps ahead, I won’t be able to protect you. And how was it on your side, Lady Hannelore?”

I thought back on what had happened in the world of the gods, but most of what I recalled were complaints directed at Lord Ferdinand.

“I was doing my best to defend Lord Ferdinand, insisting that he meant no harm by his words or actions. Aside from that, the God of Stars, Sterrat, mentioned having received the approval of the other male gods… but overall, it wasn’t much different from what you told me. Since Lord Ferdinand voiced his questions and received answers, your side of the report is actually more detailed.”

As I spoke, I remembered that there were things I still wasn’t sure whether to report to the Zent.

“Um, Kenntrips… Do you think I need to report to the Zent that the price for the God of Stars, Sterrat’s aid, seems to be receiving a lap pillow from the Goddess of Weaving, Ventuhite?”

There was a stifled sound, like someone desperately holding back laughter. When I looked at Kenntrips, he was covering his mouth.

“Kenntrips, are you alright?”

“That’s unnecessary. You didn’t even need to report it to me. Honestly, how does one even end up having that kind of conversation with the gods?”

”…About that price… I honestly don’t know how things ended up that way either.”

I decided it would be best to discuss the matter of compensation now, keeping to myself the fact that I’d first thought “offering my lap” meant delivering a kick—surely that would only earn me a look of exasperation.

“I received Lord Ferdinand’s assistance as the price for the second descent, didn’t I? Since I’ll have to negotiate with Father, I thought I should speak with you first. I’m wondering whether it’s alright to honestly say I received advice from Lord Ferdinand…”

“A wise decision. Lord Ferdinand does not wish to be in the spotlight.”

Kenntrips gave me a gentle smile and praised me, saying, “I’m glad you realized that.”

“Then… how should I speak with Father?”

“It’s not a problem. I’ve already negotiated with the aub. After obtaining my graduation qualifications from the scholar course, I’ve been granted permission to earn my qualifications from the knight course as well.”

“What!?”

I was more surprised by that than anything else since waking up. I hadn’t imagined the negotiations with Father would already be over while I was still unconscious.

“I didn’t know when you would awaken, and I needed to set the examination schedule as soon as possible,” Kenntrips said.

It was true—waiting even ten days would have felt too long. Still, this was a condition I had earned for my proposal, and it felt somewhat off that Kenntrips had handled the negotiations with Father in my place.

“What I asked of you, Lady Hannelore, was a way to participate in the bride-stealing ditter. You showed me that path, so there’s no problem.”

It seemed Kenntrips had completed the scholar course graduation qualifications just this morning. Thanks to Professor Rauffen, his examination schedule was already full, and from now until the inter-duchy tournament, he would be busy working toward his knight course graduation. He had outlined his upcoming plans to me.

“Then how will we conceal the fact that I received advice from Lord Ferdinand? We’ll need to make sure our stories match, won’t we?”

“He told me to say I came up with it myself, but that was clearly unreasonable—so we’ve decided to say I received advice from the Zent.”

…That made sense.

It was a method that exploited a blind spot no one from Dunkelfelger would have noticed. Neither I nor Kenntrips would have come up with it on our own. The presence of a third party who offered advice was absolutely necessary. Since the Zent was helping coordinate the exam schedule, it wasn’t entirely a lie. I’d never been good at lying anyway—Cordula always saw right through me.

“I believe Lord Ferdinand doesn’t want Dunkelfelger to know he was involved in this recent descent.”

“Why is that?” I asked, tilting my head.

Kenntrips let out a quiet sigh before explaining.

“Lord Ferdinand is a member of the archducal family of Ehrenfest, supporting the new duchy of Alexandria. He likely doesn’t want to be indebted to Dunkelfelger in any way.”

“A debt? Not a favor he granted?”

I tilted my head, unable to understand why giving me advice would count as a debt for Lord Ferdinand.

“Lord Ferdinand desired the goddess’s descent solely to investigate Lady Rozemyne’s current state, and to do so, he used the body of a Dunkelfelger archduke candidate. Do you truly think that offering advice to help an apprentice scholar participate in a bride-stealing ditter is equal compensation for having the goddess descend into you? From the perspective of inter-duchy relations, it’s a significant debt.”

”…Now that you say it, that may be true.”

From my personal perspective, I had gained something—I received help with something I couldn’t have accomplished on my own. But to an outsider, it would hardly seem that the burden I bore was equal to that which Lord Ferdinand had taken on.

“Having the goddess descend twice for Alexandria’s sake, losing consciousness for an extended period, and now being caught up in a bride-stealing ditter—these have all had a major impact on your life. Of course it should be counted as a favor owed by Alexandria. Lady Hannelore, you may be satisfied with the price you paid, but no matter how you look at it, the burden on you is far too great.”

The first time was to summon Lady Rozemyne. The second was to inquire about her current condition—both times, it was for Lord Ferdinand’s sake that the goddess descended. And since he also seemed to be the cause of it all, I couldn’t exactly deny it when it was framed as being for Alexandria’s sake.

“I understand your point, Kenntrips, truly… but I did receive compensation for both descents. Nothing good ever comes from being too greedy, you know.”

No matter how it may appear to others, I had received compensation. I had gained things I never could have obtained on my own. Trying to take advantage of the situation further—for the benefit of my duchy—would simply be too greedy.

”…Lady Hannelore, it’s truly admirable that you understand that instinctively. I found it unpleasant that Lord Ferdinand seemed to take your burden during the goddess’s descent so lightly. That’s why I was thinking of maneuvering things so that Lord Lestilaut, as the next archduke, could gain some advantage over Alexandria… but…”

“What? You tried to maneuver against Lord Ferdinand? What? Isn’t that… reckless?”

I blinked several times, staring at Kenntrips. It wasn’t that I thought he was incompetent—far from it—but I couldn’t imagine anyone at this point successfully standing against Lord Ferdinand.

In response to my assessment, Kenntrips let out a deep, weary sigh, then gazed off into the distance.

“You’re absolutely right. It was reckless.”

“He said, ‘I don’t mind a bit of cunning, but if you get greedy, you’ll lose even the gains you could have had,’ while giving me the coldest look. He warned that if someone foolish enough not to understand the importance of keeping the second descent of the Goddess of Time a secret were to become your spouse, Lady Hannelore, you’d end up suffering for it. He also stated, ‘Do you still not understand that it was precisely because the previous descent became so widely known that this bride-stealing ditter occurred in the first place?’”

I could almost see Lord Ferdinand breaking Kenntrips’s spirit, likely venting his frustration on the Goddess of Time at the same time.

”…It’s good you’ve come to understand how terrifying Lord Ferdinand can be now, rather than later. He’s the kind of person who picks fights with gods and is considered too troublesome to deal with. You wouldn’t stand a chance against him as you are now, Kenntrips.”

“I learned my lesson. His words were harsh, but he wasn’t wrong. He scolded me for being too narrow-minded, even if I’m not yet of age, and said my conduct reflects poorly on Dunkelfelger’s apprentice scholars.” Kenntrips noted.

“He asked me if I seriously believed I could protect Lady Hannelore—who has become the vessel of a goddess—when this is the best I can manage.”

Lord Ferdinand reportedly said that to Kenntrips, with the look one gives the incompetent:

“If word of the second descent spreads, others will begin to see Lady Hannelore as someone who can easily call down the goddess. Even though she was merely caught up in it and can do nothing herself, people around her will place expectations on her as they please, only to then feel disappointed just as freely. Can you, an apprentice scholar who is meant to manage information, truly not imagine what kind of position that would put her in?”

I knew all too well how the expectations and disappointments from those around me could weigh heavily after a goddess’s descent. Just how comforting would it be, I wondered, to have someone who could shield me from those gazes and expectations, to protect me from them? I could easily understand why Lady Rozemyne relied so deeply on Lord Ferdinand.

“I was warned so sternly about this matter that I can’t even speak of it to my attendant.”

“What?”

“If Dunkelfelger intends to make use of this matter, then we will act accordingly as well. Lady Hannelore is in the perfect position to serve as a cover to hide Lady Rozemyne,” he said.

I gasped. When Lord Ferdinand declares he will act, it means he has already envisioned the path forward. A path that uses me—to protect Lady Rozemyne.

“Kenntrips, please… whatever you do, don’t try to oppose Lord Ferdinand. You’d only be tightening the noose around your own neck. He operates on a completely different level—he’s the kind of person who even picks fights with gods.”

“I’ve surrendered completely,” he replied. “I won’t let him use you any further. More than anything, I think this has been an invaluable lesson in how to navigate the role of protecting the vessel of a goddess.”

With the Zent present, Kenntrips had been strictly ordered to keep the second descent a secret and maintain the cover story. Lord Ferdinand hadn’t been present during that exchange, and officially, neither of us had left the royal palace.

“Since the official version is that the goddess descended in the middle of our discussion with the Zent, it should be easy enough to explain away any gaps in your memory, Lady Hannelore. I already stated it that way during my negotiations with the aub.”

”…That’s a relief. Then, how was the matter of me requesting the conditions for a proposal from you handled?”

I asked whether he had mentioned fulfilling the conditions for a proposal during his negotiations with Father, and how my retainers had been handling the matter.

“Regarding that, we should include your retainers in the discussion,” Kenntrips replied.

He returned the magic tool used to prevent eavesdropping, then informed my retainers that he wished to discuss the conditions of the proposal.

“Kenntrips, you haven’t told the aub that you were ever given a proposal condition, nor that Lady Hannelore has, in principle, fulfilled it—correct?”

“I haven’t said anything. At this stage, since I haven’t obtained my knight course graduation qualifications, it would be meaningless.”

The proposal condition was to -pave the way for him to stand beside Rasantark by making it possible for him to participate in the bride-stealing ditter.- That condition had, in essence, been fulfilled. However, if Kenntrips couldn’t actually participate in the ditter, he wouldn’t be acknowledged as a proper fiancé candidate within Dunkelfelger, nor would he be seen as standing beside Rasantark. In that case, it couldn’t be said that his wish had been fulfilled.

“We’ve kept quiet as well. For Lady Hannelore to have obtained a proposal condition from Kenntrips goes against the aub’s internal decisions, so it cannot be made public.”

“More importantly,” another added, “Lord Rasantark is delighted that Lord Kenntrips has finally gotten serious. Wouldn’t it be better to pretend that Lady Hannelore never proposed in the first place?”

“Luitpold, what do you mean by that?” I asked.

Perhaps it was because I had only just returned from the world of the gods, but the suggestion that my actions might be erased—that they could simply be treated as if they never happened—was difficult to accept. I couldn’t help but ask his meaning in a slightly firmer tone. In response, Luitpold crossed his arms.

“As Andrea said, for you to receive a proposal condition from Lord Kenntrips is an act that goes against the internal decisions of the aub. You understand that, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“As things stand, it appears that Lord Kenntrips, after receiving advice from the Zent, negotiated with the aub and now has a path to participating in the bride-stealing ditter depending on how his exams go. Once there are two candidates eligible to take part in the ditter, all Lady Hannelore needs to do is choose Lord Kenntrips. There’s no need to publicly declare that she obtained a proposal condition from him, is there?”

At Luitpold’s words, Kenntrips gave a nod of agreement.

“It would have no meaning, but if Lady Hannelore wishes to publicly declare that she has chosen me at this point, I wouldn’t mind if you did so.”

”…I don’t intend to do anything that would simply earn Father’s displeasure without any purpose.”

As I agreed to keep the fact that I had obtained the proposal condition concealed, my retainers nodded in agreement as well.

“I do feel guilty about hiding the fact that Lady Hannelore has already chosen Lord Kenntrips over Lord Rasantark, who genuinely hoped to be equal to him…” Andrea said.

Luitpold snorted in response to Andrea’s words.

“Feel guilty or not… If Lord Rasantark truly wishes to be equal, he should pass the exams for the scholar course. What we require from a spouse, including Lady Hannelore, is the ability to assist in the Archduke Conference,” he said dismissively.

…I honestly don’t think Rasantark would be able to handle the apprentice scholar course, especially considering how often he needs help from Kenntrips even with the knight course’s written work.

“Regarding the proposal condition, we’ll keep it concealed. If Lord Rasantark says anything, we’ll just claim that he needs to complete the scholar course. But don’t we need to consider those who might be scheming to sabotage our bride-stealing ditter that Lady Hannelore was advised about by the gods?”

At Heilliese’s words, everyone’s expression turned serious. All eyes shifted to me, as I had received the gods’ advice regarding the ditter.

“The gods didn’t give me any details about those who might try to sabotage the ditter. It was really just a passing comment at the end… But, at this point, is it even possible to ruin the bride-stealing ditter?”

When I asked, Cordula let out a soft sigh.

“If anything were to happen to you now, Milady, the ditter would be ruined. That’s why I believe we’re particularly cautious about being separated from you at this time.”

If I were to lose my life, be defiled, or lose my value as the avatar of the goddess by angering the gods… such frightening possibilities crossed my mind. I now understood why Cordula felt such strong anger and caution over the Zent dismissing the retainers at the royal palace.

“Alternatively, if all the applicants were to withdraw, the bride-stealing ditter wouldn’t be able to take place,” she added.

“After the Zent’s announcement, do you really think those who didn’t withdraw would now do so?”

In the conversation between Elusia and Heilliese, Kenntrips suddenly widened his eyes as if realizing something.

“If the goal is to have all the applicants withdraw, it would probably be best to target Lord Ortwin,” he said.

”…Now that you mention it, I did hear him say during the brewing of my jureve, ‘“If I’m not crushed, it should be fine…’ Has there been any change with Lord Ortwin?