The Target is Ortwin

“Lady Hannelore, why are you so well informed about Lord Ortwin’s circumstances?”

“Eh?”

Although Kenntrips was smiling gently, his gray eyes were not. I sensed the atmosphere he gave off when trying to uncover every hidden secret, and I took a slight step back.

…It’s not like I’ve done anything wrong, but why do I feel as though I have?

As I was wondering how I ought to respond, Heilliese and Luitpold began pressing me as well, as though joining forces with Kenntrips.

“Did you say it was during the preparation of your jureve? Rasantark was quite concerned when you and Lord Ortwin were paired together. There shouldn’t have been much opportunity for conversation, though…”

“I was in the same class, but I didn’t notice you speaking with Lord Ortwin, Lady Hannelore. How exactly did you manage to talk with him?”

It wasn’t a class for archduke candidates, but a brewing lesson, so my retainers had been in the same room. Their tone held a hint of reproach, likely because we had spoken without their noticing. I let my gaze wander in search of an ally, but there was no one who looked like they might come to my defense.

“If even my retainers and Rasantark didn’t notice, then surely those from other duchies didn’t either. I couldn’t allow anyone to realize that I am cooperating with Lord Ortwin, after all. Don’t you think I handled it rather well?”

“Milady. When and how did you manage to exchange information during a class surrounded by archnobles?”

There was a certain pressure behind Cordula’s voice. I let out a quiet sigh.

“After we finished the brewing, I used a magic tool to prevent eavesdropping while we were putting the materials away. I was facing the workbench, and Lord Ortwin was looking into the pot, so it shouldn’t have looked like we were speaking.”

“I see. And what did you talk about?”

When Kenntrips asked, I explained that I had felt it necessary to share the information about Lord Lansrit that I had received from Lady Letizia.

“It seemed that Lord Lansrit, Lady Letizia’s older brother, had shown signs of contacting Korinthsdaum. Because of that, I suspected someone might be trying to divide Drewanchel using similar methods as those used on Raufereg. When we shared information, Lord Ortwin appeared to believe there was a goal beyond just dividing the duchy—he said, ‘If I’m not crushed…’”

At my words, Kenntrips furrowed his brows, and my retainers’ expressions tightened with growing alarm.

“You didn’t tell us? Why didn’t you report something so important!?”

“I was going to report it. But was I not summoned by the Zent during that very same class? There was no opportunity, was there?”

I had been summoned, experienced the goddess’s second descent, awakened, sorted through all the matters related to the gods—and only now had we finally regained enough composure to think beyond that. There was simply no way I could have reported it any earlier.

“Ah… I see. I understand now why it was difficult to report it promptly.”

My retainers seemed satisfied, but Kenntrips still had his brows drawn together.

“Did Lord Ortwin realize that he was being asked to withdraw in order to cancel the bride-stealing ditter?”

“I don’t know. He merely said that the aim likely wasn’t just to divide Drewanchel. Whether he’s predicted that Lord Sigiswald is targeting the ditter itself… I couldn’t say.”

Since Lord Ortwin said, “If I’m not crushed…” he likely has some degree of awareness. Even so, there’s no definitive proof.

“We also shouldn’t assume that the cancellation of the bride-stealing ditter is solely Lord Sigiswald’s scheme—not when we still lack sufficient information.”

While Kenntrips nodded at Luitpold’s words, I tilted my head in doubt. I couldn’t imagine anyone other than Lord Sigiswald wanting to cancel the bride-stealing ditter. Even if Gilessenmeyer or Hauchletzte were involved, I still believed Lord Sigiswald was the mastermind.

“Could it be that Lord Lansrit proposed the plan? If Lord Sigiswald had a means of canceling the ditter, he would’ve acted before the applications were submitted.”

“That’s plausible. If he could push Lord Ortwin out of the running, then Lord Lansrit would benefit from teaming up with Lord Sigiswald.”

Luitpold and Kenntrips were speaking as though they understood each other perfectly—leaving the rest of us behind.

“Please explain it in a way we can understand as well,” I said.

“It’s said that the struggle to become the next aub of Drewanchel is intense,” Kenntrips began. “Adoptions are frequent, and the most capable candidate is chosen as the aub. It’s not like Dunkelfelger. I’ve even heard that it’s not uncommon for magic tools to be planted in others’ rooms or for poison to be used.”

“That serious!?” I exclaimed.

I was shocked by how different the situation was from Dunkelfelger, where the next aub is usually chosen by direct nomination and, if there is conflict, settled cleanly through ditter.

“The condition for our current alliance is mutual support for each other’s next archduke,” Kenntrips explained. “Drewanchel will support Lord Lestilaut, and Dunkelfelger will recognize Lord Ortwin as the next aub. In other words, by proposing to you, Lady Hannelore, Lord Ortwin has taken a clear step forward in the succession struggle.”

Since Aub Drewanchel granted permission and Lord Ortwin himself proposed the alliance, then if he performs well in the bride-stealing ditter, it would all but guarantee him as the next archduke.

“In Dunkelfelger, the aub led the battle in the Sovereignty, which is why Lord Lestilaut was named the next archduke. But in other duchies, those with inferior schtappes are seen as disadvantaged when it comes to succession. So this step may be far more significant than we realize.”

Kenntrips’s words brought back a memory—when I spoke with Lord Ortwin and the others about the next archdukes of their respective duchies.

“That’s entirely possible. When I told him that Dunkelfelger’s next archduke wouldn’t be changing, Lord Ortwin was surprised. He said something along the lines of, ‘If I can persuade them in that direction…’ Perhaps he managed to convince his aub despite being from a generation considered unfit due to possessing an inferior schtappe?”

Now that I thought about it, I found myself genuinely impressed by Lord Ortwin’s maneuvering and the groundwork he must have laid. I only came to realize it because I had gone against my father’s decision and searched for a way to let Kenntrips participate.

”…Lord Ortwin is truly remarkable. I never understood until now just how difficult it is to gather the necessary support and prepare the groundwork to persuade an aub.”

As I sat there, quietly impressed by Lord Ortwin’s efforts and my own growth in understanding, Kenntrips shot me a pointed look, “You’re drifting off-topic,” he murmured.

“If Lord Ortwin has managed to get this close to becoming the next archduke, then it wouldn’t be surprising at all if someone were plotting to make him fail. There are surely those in the dormitory watching for an opportunity—people who want to push him out of the running, or who want to use the influence of former royalty for their own gain.”

If he succeeds, Lord Ortwin becomes the next archduke—but if he fails, he’ll be pushed further from that seat. Just withdrawing from the ditter after receiving the aub’s permission would likely cause him to lose that very aub’s trust.

As I imagined the tense atmosphere within Drewanchel’s dormitory, my expression turned bitter. My retainers, too, wore similarly troubled looks.

“I don’t know how widely the alliance has been revealed within Drewanchel, but I believe Lord Ortwin’s greatest threat isn’t Lord Sigiswald—it’s the other archduke candidates in his own duchy.”

“It’s troubling that, should something happen to Lord Ortwin and he chooses to withdraw, Dunkelfelger wouldn’t be able to stop him.”

There was a chilling possibility—that those who wanted to remove Lord Ortwin from the line of succession, and those aiming to cancel the bride-stealing ditter itself, might be working together.

The thought of how much hostility Lord Ortwin might be surrounded by at this very moment sent a shiver down my spine.

“Investigate Drewanchel’s internal affairs.”

As I gave the order, Luitpold nodded in acknowledgment, though he added with a serious expression:

“Lady Hannelore, it’s fine to look into Drewanchel, but we mustn’t stop there. We need information on all opposing duchies. If individuals with different motives are joining forces to bring down the bride-stealing ditter, we have to understand each of their intentions precisely—or we risk being caught off guard.”

“There haven’t been any overt moves to stop the bride-stealing ditter so far. Just as Dunkelfelger is wary of opposing duchies, they are also on guard against our intelligence-gathering efforts. It may be difficult to gather meaningful information in a short time.”

The apprentice scholars were murmuring among themselves, already considering how we might need to experiment and adjust our methods to gather information effectively.

If there was anyone with a real chance to speak directly with Lord Ortwin, it would be me—since we attended the same classes.

“I’ll see if there’s a way I can speak with Lord Ortwin discreetly.”

“Please don’t,” Kenntrips cut in immediately. “You’ll end up constantly watching Lord Ortwin, trying to find a moment to speak with him—and it won’t be long before those around you notice. It’s too risky.”

I couldn’t argue back right away. During our brewing lesson, I had spent the entire time searching for just such an opening. Still… it had worked last time. If I tried hard enough, I was sure I could manage it again.

“You may believe I seem unreliable, Kenntrips, but I—”

“I do not believe that you’re unreliable,” Kenntrips said at once, cutting me off.

Then he let out a deep sigh—haa…—and stepped closer, deliberately, until he was right beside me. Gently, he took my hand in his.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Gathering information is important, but… I’d rather you not keep staring at Lord Ortwin or getting too friendly with him. I get jealous.”

“Huh!?”

Completely blindsided by his unexpected words, my mind went completely blank. Kenntrips raised an eyebrow slightly at my reaction, then gave me a strangely sweet smile.

“Lady Hannelore, I’m the one you chose… the one you proposed to, remember?”

“Y-Yes, that’s true…”

Even though we had agreed to pretend the proposal condition never happened, it seemed that the fact that I had proposed wasn’t going to be brushed aside so easily.

…Not that I wanted it to be brushed aside in the first place!

At the time, it had felt like I was simply choosing Kenntrips out of necessity. But now—having him plainly state that I was the one who proposed—made me realize just how bold my actions had been. I couldn’t help but feel utterly embarrassed.

“Um, ah, Kenntrips… The retainers are…”

“Please don’t worry about them, Lady Hannelore. Compared to the moment you proposed to me, this is nothing at all.”

“Lord Kenntrips, if you want to stop Milady from acting on her own, you’ll need to offer an alternative to these secret meetings.”

The retainers I had expected to stop him didn’t seem the least bit alarmed about him holding my hand—no one tried to pull us apart. Cordula, in fact, went so far as to offer advice to Kenntrips herself.

“Then, since we have this opportunity,” Kenntrips said, “instead of trying to speak with Lord Ortwin directly, please use this chance to learn how to act indirectly, Lady Hannelore. Let’s request cooperation from Ehrenfest—they declared, during the incident with Lord Wilfried, that they would not oppose Dunkelfelger. They may assist us in gathering information.”

”…Understood. I’ll try speaking with Lady Charlotte. I-I’ll act indirectly—so please, let go of my hand already!”

…I could feel my retainers watching us with warm, amused smiles, and it was simply too much to bear!

When I cried out instinctively, Kenntrips quickly released my hand, his expression shifting in an instant.

“My apologies. I overstepped. Are you feeling unwell?”

”…Eh?”

“The goddess’s power is manifesting again—it’s producing a faint pressure.”

”…The goddess’s power? I have it again this time?”

No one had mentioned it until now, so I hadn’t even realized that the goddess’s power was quietly radiating from my entire body.

“It seems to be affecting you less than last time,” Cordula explained. “Unless someone gets very close or your emotions become highly agitated, it shouldn’t interfere with your daily life.”

She gently touched my arm, then gave Kenntrips a brief glare—the clear source of my emotional upheaval. Kenntrips took a step back with a respectful nod.

“I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“Even if the effects are minimal, if we intend to keep the second descent hidden, then Lady Hannelore must not attend any lectures until the goddess’s power fades completely,” Cordula said firmly.

According to her, the divine power this time was quite faint, but even so, I shouldn’t attend classes for about two days.

“We’ve already informed the aub of our concerns, and others will handle the information gathering. Lady Hannelore, for now, please limit yourself to sending a request to meet with Lady Charlotte.”

“Understood.”

Considering what happened last time, the goddess’s power should fade entirely within about three days. I decided to do my best, just as Kenntrips had advised, to gather information indirectly.

“I’ve already reported to the Zent that you’ve awakened, along with the fact that someone seems to be plotting to sabotage the ditter. She’ll likely realize the information came from the world of the gods and respond in some way. For now, Milady, focus on what you can do, and wait patiently until the goddess’s power fully fades.”

”…What I should be doing?”

Aside from sending a meeting request to Lady Charlotte, I wasn’t sure what else was expected of me. I tilted my head in confusion, and Cordula gave me a look of exasperation.

“You’ll be missing another two or three days, so you’ll need to study on your own in the meantime. And since there was another descent, we have no idea when the goddess might descend again. You must remake your jureve before the Zent summons you again.”

Even without another descent, the bride-stealing ditter was still approaching. It would be best to prepare while I could. That said, I’d have to begin again from gathering the ingredients.

“Cordula, is it alright for me to leave the dormitory to gather materials?”

“If it’s just the trip to and from the gathering spot, you won’t run into anyone from another duchy. There’s no issue.”

Once Cordula granted permission, Heilliese stepped in with a suggestion. “Let’s go gathering tomorrow instead. There’s not enough time left today, and I’m sure there are apprentice scholar’s who’d wish to join if they were aware—we should give them the opportunity.”

“Lady Hannelore,” another added, “please invite Rasantark as well. Just asking him to guard you or to help hunt a few feybeasts would surely put him in an excellent mood.”

I recalled the dejected expression Rasantark wore when I turned him away, saying I couldn’t speak with him. With that in mind, I gave a small nod to Kenntrips.

“Then let us reschedule the jureve preparation for tomorrow. Please speak to those in the dining hall and inform anyone who wishes to join about the meeting time and place.”

“Understood.”

With the discussion concluded, we left the meeting room. As we walked, I glanced up at Kenntrips beside me, who was escorting me in silence. I caught a glimpse of his profile—calm and composed.

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

“Aren’t you jealous of Rasantark?”

He blinked, his eyes widening just slightly before he looked away, gaze shifting off to the side.

“Not right now… I’ve finally gotten a real chance to make my wish come true.”

“Your wish…?”

“To become a knight and protect Milady crybaby.”

His unexpected answer, given so naturally in response to a passing question, stirred something quietly within me. “Not right now”—that must mean he had felt jealousy toward Rasantark before. That my choice… and his chance to earn the qualifications of a knight were truly important to him. A rush of realizations hit me all at once, leaving my thoughts unsteady, as though the ground beneath me had shifted.

”…I will earn my knight course qualifications. Without fail.”

The little boy who once cried because he wanted to become a knight was now giving everything he had to make that dream a reality. That thought filled me with joy—pride, even—and something about it shone so brightly that I found myself unable to look at him directly. Just like back then, all I could do was reply, “It’s a promise.”

The next day, I gathered my retainers who had room in their schedules, along with those who wished to accompany me, and headed to our duchy’s gathering spot. Together with Rasantark and the other apprentice knights, we hunted feybeasts and began collecting the ingredients to remake the jureve.

“Gathering the ingredients for the jureve yourself is a bit of a hassle, but it’s convenient that, here in the Royal Academy, everything can be found at one gathering spot. If I tried to collect them back in the duchy, I’d have to travel all over.”

Once I turned the gathered materials into feystones, I called out to my companions, instructing them to return to the dormitory.

“Milady, this arrived from the aub.”

Upon returning from my gathering, I received a wooden board—sent by Father. I returned to my room, changed clothes, and carefully put away the gathered materials. Some of the ingredients for the jureve needed to be infused with my own mana, so I couldn’t even allow my retainers to handle them.

Once I had finished putting everything away, I read the wooden board Cordula had handed to me.

“Taking a life itself is forbidden by the gods, but we cannot predict what may occur. Be vigilant for any suspicious rumors or actions, and above all else, prioritize Hannelore’s safety.”

As I read aloud, my retainers nodded with tense expressions.

“Additionally, the bride-stealing ditter can be canceled if all suitors withdraw. Lord Sigiswald will likely try to erase the ditter entirely and then proceed with a forceful proposal, leveraging the influence of the former royal family.”

The means of canceling the bride-stealing ditter were exactly as we had guessed. I felt a sense of relief knowing Father’s view aligned with ours and didn’t differ drastically.

“But even if someone withdraws from the bride-stealing ditter, could they really propose again afterward?”

“Andrea, ordinarily, such shameless and brazen behavior would be unthinkable. But Lord Sigiswald comes from a different duchy—one with different standards. I believe he’ll resort to methods he’s more comfortable with than ditter.”

“Rather, he might even boast about being the one who stopped the ditter,” Cordula remarked.

I nodded in agreement.

“Father wrote that depending on the time and circumstances, we could find ourselves at a disadvantage—so we must not, under any condition, allow the bride-stealing ditter to be canceled.”

“Then… does that mean Dunkelfelger is to protect Lord Ortwin as the key to everything?” Heilliese asked, tilting her head.

I firmly shook my head in denial.

“No. Father’s instruction is that under no circumstances are we to let anyone realize we are cooperating with Lord Ortwin.”

Dunkelfelger cannot stop another suitor from withdrawing. More importantly, from an outsider’s perspective, all candidates must be treated equally—especially those considered opponents.

“Additionally, Father wrote that it’s possible Drewanchel is testing whether Lord Ortwin is truly fit to be their next archduke. If Dunkelfelger gets too involved, it could be seen as interference in their internal affairs.”

”…It would be troubling if someone who can’t manage his own half-sibling were to become the next archduke.”

In a duchy where the succession struggle is especially fierce, Lord Ortwin is surely being watched closely—particularly in how he handles his rivals. If Dunkelfelger interfered simply because we didn’t want the bride-stealing ditter to be canceled, it would cast doubt on Ortwin’s capability.

And if that happened… it’s Lord Ortwin himself who would suffer for it in the long run.

“For those reasons, Father has also forbidden me from directly interacting with Lord Ortwin. He wrote that I am to order the students to gather information on opposing duchies instead.”

“We’ve already started on that,” Elucia said cheerfully.

Being able to anticipate the aub’s orders and act in advance was a clear sign of their competence.

“Oh, and it seems Father himself will be gathering information as well. He plans to obtain it from the lesser duchies that withdrew early—as part of their reparations.”

The information gathered from duchies misled by Korinthsdaum didn’t feel especially trustworthy to me. Still, according to the apprentice scholars, gathering a wide range of information—even from unreliable sources—could help reveal how Korinthsdaum was operating, what rumors were spreading, how students perceived events, and how Dunkelfelger’s actions were viewed by other duchies.

“Father remains in the duchy, and yet he’s able to gather information about the Royal Academy’s political landscape…” I murmured. “Meanwhile, I’m told to move indirectly—and even that feels like the most I’m capable of doing.”

Just as I was feeling a bit down—acutely aware of Father’s far-reaching influence and my own inadequacy—an ordonnanz came flying toward me. The small white bird landed gently on my outstretched hand.

“Lady Hannelore, this is Eglantine. I’m relieved to hear you’ve awakened. I would like to ask you about the ditter that, as I understand, came with a warning from the gods. If you are willing… may we speak?”

Being summoned by the Zent was not something I could reasonably refuse. My retainers, however, insisted on certain precautions: “At the very least, please complete the jureve first,” and “Request that they not dismiss your retainers this time.” So, arrangements were made to adjust the schedule and conditions accordingly.

Through an exchange between our attendants, the meeting was set for tomorrow afternoon.