"Mufufu, fufun."
I was in high spirits from the morning. Today, during the lunch break, I was scheduled to register as a user at the library. It would be my first time ever stepping foot inside the
Actually, the night before,
"You've been looking forward to this since last night, Lady
At the breakfast table where all the attendants had gathered, Lieseleta subtly filled in the male attendants—who didn't know how I'd been acting in my room—on my state.
"The Knight Commander always says that master and servant should complement each other's weaknesses. Lady Rozemyne is good at studying but not at physical activity, while I am bad at studying but good at physical activity—we make a perfect pair!"
"If that's the case, then once Lady Rozemyne learns body-strengthening and can move around, you'll need to study as well to keep up, won't you?" Lieseleta giggled.
Angelica's eyes widened slightly at that. Everyone chuckled at Angelica's reaction and finished breakfast.
"Lady Rozemyne, the music instructors wanted me to pass along an invitation to a tea party, but since Professor
The upper-class students let out an excited "Oh!" at this. They seemed thrilled, but the first- and second-years didn't understand the significance and tilted their heads in confusion.
"The third-years had a practical music session yesterday afternoon."
Apparently, during the practical, someone had asked, "Lady Rozemyne played a new piece at the first-years' practical—is it well known in Ehrenfest?" As a result, students across all classes—upper, middle, and lower—ended up performing the sheet music that the Platan Company had been selling, each playing pieces matched to their skill level.
The result was that news of my having composed multiple songs spread to everyone around me.
Brunhilde, who serves as my attendant apprentice, had been called aside after the practical and told, "The first-years of Ehrenfest have finished all their lecture coursework. If it's during the morning hours, they should have free time, correct?"
Since the pieces I'd performed had been played at the Chief Priest's Festspiel concert and were being sold as sheet music, they had become relatively well-known in Ehrenfest over the past two years.
I was told that the music instructors had taken an interest because pieces that were completely different from anything that existed before—brimming with originality—had suddenly emerged in quantity at the Royal Academy, where the culture of every duchy converges. A question floated up in my mind.
"It has been about two years since I started selling sheet music, but no one had performed any of it at the Royal Academy?"
"The Aub of Ehrenfest had intended to release them gradually alongside your enrollment, Lady Rozemyne."
The things I created were fundamentally made in the
Even if it came up at the Lord's Conference, there was no one who had the knowledge to provide details or promote it outside the duchy, so a gag order must have been put in place to prevent it from spreading prematurely.
"Can you accompany me to the tea party, Brunhilde?"
Feeling anxious about going alone, I asked Brunhilde, and she nodded firmly, her amber eyes shining.
"Of course, I will accompany you. A teacher's invitation is, in essence, the central faction showing interest in Ehrenfest's culture. This is the first time I've had the opportunity to attend such a distinguished event."
Being invited to a teachers' tea party was an honor, and as far as Brunhilde knew, Ehrenfest had never been invited before. I finally understood why the upper-class students had reacted with surprise and excitement.
"This will be my first tea party at the Royal Academy, so I'll leave the arrangements with the teachers and preparation of necessary items to you, Brunhilde, since you know your way around here. Has a date been set?"
"No, not yet. Once I've heard your wishes, Lady Rozemyne, we'll send our reply. I still need a few more days to finish my coursework, so may I respond that once we receive the formal invitation, we will consult with the other attendants and give our answer?"
Brunhilde intended to finish her coursework before the tea party. Her single-minded drive toward her goal was endearing, so I resolved to cheer her on.
"That reply sounds fine to me. It'll be tough finishing your studies and preparing for the tea party, but I'm counting on you."
"Leave it to me. Before the tea party, I must have everything perfect—the outfit, hair ornaments, music, gifts. My hands are itching to get started!"
Brunhilde counted off the preparations needed for the tea party on her fingers. Apparently,
"The date for the tea party hasn't been decided yet, but please practice. A new piece would be even better, I think."
"A new piece? I'll think of something with Rosina. Even if I come up with a melody, I can't play it myself right away."
I could basically only hum tunes. Transcribing them into sheet music for the Festspiel or arranging them was Rosina's job as our dedicated musician.
"Please come to the library as soon as possible during the lunch break."
After seeing the upper-class students off with smiles after breakfast, I discussed the new piece with Rosina while the first-years worked on their reference materials. Rosina was overjoyed at the prospect of arranging a new piece.
"Lady Rozemyne, please sing it for me right away."
She prepared a Festspiel, white paper, and a pen, and as I sang the main melody, Rosina verified it on the Festspiel and wrote down a few measures at a time. Since this piece was to be presented to the music instructors, I chose something classical and not too long.
"Which goddess is this piece dedicated to?"
"To commemorate my first library registration, let's dedicate it to
As the first-years creating reference materials watched with great interest, observing the piece come together, Rosina picked up the main melody and began arranging.
After finishing lunch, I headed to the library with all the first-years, my attendants, and
While Wilfried's attendants confirmed everyone had gathered in the entrance hall, I could feel my tension rising higher and higher.
"Library, library, so many books, a place of happiness, lalalun, laran."
I'd been playing music all morning, so songs kept coming out on their own.
"Is that the piece Lady Rozemyne was composing earlier? You've already set lyrics to it?"
"I just did now. How about 'Paradise on
"Wait, Rozemyne. Even if they hear that song, the instructors will be confused. Shouldn't you think a bit more about the lyrics? It's supposed to be a piece dedicated to Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, not the library."
Everyone quietly chuckled at Wilfried's exasperated expression, and Richella stopped my high spirits with a sigh.
"My lady, today is registration only. There will be no time for reading. You have court etiquette practical this afternoon, you know."
"I know."
I nodded at Richella's words, which I'd been told repeatedly since the morning. Of course, I'd also been told that unless I passed the practical as well, I wouldn't be able to come and go freely to the library, so I wasn't even the slightest bit tempted to slack off.
"...But surely I can at least take a stroll through the reading room until the last possible moment?"
And maybe, just a little—if I were to use a cooking analogy, just a taste—I could glance at what kinds of books they had, right? ...Just as I was thinking this, Richella narrowed her dark eyes and glared at me.
"My lady, I've told you many times—there is no time for reading."
"I understand perfectly, of course."
The first-years let out wry smiles at the exchange that was repeated so often between Richella and me.
"Everyone is assembled. Let us be off."
Once we left the Ehrenfest dormitory, we emerged into the corridor in front of the lecture hall. Passing through the small hall we always used for practicals, we entered territory that was entirely new to me. Walking down the corridor, we passed the halls used by middle- and lower-ranking nobles for their practicals.
Then, heading south from the central section of the main building where the lecture hall, small halls, and other large classrooms were located, we arrived at a T-junction. Cloisters extended to the left and right, with large doors at the end of each.
"If you turn right here, you'll reach the specialized building used by the scholar apprentices, and turning left leads to the specialized building where attendant apprentices study,"
I tilted my head.
"Where is the specialized building for knight apprentices?"
"It's on the north side, so directly opposite—it's the farthest from the library among all the specialized buildings. I think they assume knight apprentices don't use the library much," Cornelius said, glancing at Angelica.
It turned out that despite being in her final year, Angelica still hadn't registered at the library. She had apparently never set foot inside. Unbelievable.
When I suggested she register, Angelica herself had said she had no business at the library and that registering in her final year would be a waste of money. However, she'd been scolded by Shtinkluek, who said, "What will you do when the time comes to escort your Master to the library!?" and had agreed to register this time.
"The library is beyond this door."
Upper-class students who had already completed registration could enter, but those of us who were unregistered, like myself, could only enter if accompanied by
"Lady Rozemyne, please place the wooden tag from Professor Solange here."
The door had a slot similar to a mail slot. Apparently, if you inserted the wooden appointment tag there, Professor Solange would know we had arrived.
After dropping the tag in with a clack, a few seconds later the door slowly swung open. Beyond it was a brightly lit cloister with plenty of sunlight, and at the far end was another door.
And there, standing before that door with a gentle smile, was an elegant elderly lady with light purple hair and blue eyes. She was somewhat plump and looked like an exceedingly kind person—this must be the Librarian.
"Lord Wilfried, Lady Rozemyne. This is Professor Solange."
"I am Solange. I've heard all about this year's first-years from Ehrenfest and their remarkable achievements. To finish your coursework before even using the library—truly astonishing."
Speaking in a leisurely tone with a warm smile, Solange slowly moved her somewhat plump body and gestured toward the door behind her.
"The reading room is beyond this door."
She pointed toward the reading room as she spoke. Apparently, you simply had to leave the Royal Academy's main building and walk straight south to reach the library's reading room. Good—I wouldn't get lost.
I was about to dash toward the reading room when Cornelius firmly grabbed my shoulder and spun me to the right. At the same time, Solange turned right, saying, "We'll be conducting the registration procedures today, so please follow me."
Oh, the reading room was calling to me...
With a reluctance to leave, I followed behind Solange.
A door near the reading room was opened. It turned out to be a reception room that also served as Solange's office.
It was quite a spacious room, set up to accommodate new students for registration. Narrow windows were lined at even intervals, and the room stretched long to the left—just like my own room.
The area just inside the door was the reception space, with a table and chairs set up where the light streamed in from the windows. On the table was a pen holder, into which were placed pens that wrote with Magic Power.
Along the walls were several single-seat chairs and wooden boxes that could double as seats, and we were directed to wait there in turn. Wilfried and I sat in the chairs along with the upper-ranking nobles, while the middle- and lower-ranking nobles sat on the wooden box seats. Though they were called wooden boxes, they were lavishly decorated with intricate carvings and upholstered with fabric on the seating surface.
Further in, where the window light fell, was a desk positioned against the window for work, surrounded by numerous bookcases and bookshelves. However, every single one was locked tight, with not a single spine visible.
Behind the desk stood a screen for privacy. That area appeared to be Solange's personal space, where two stuffed rabbits—one black, one white, each about as tall as I was—sat dressed in clothing.
Though I called them stuffed animals, they weren't the round, stylized ones from my Urano days—they were remarkably lifelike. Imagining Solange, an elderly lady, cherishing these rabbit dolls, I couldn't help but soften my expression.
While I was looking around the room, Solange brought several sheets of paper from her desk—apparently the documents needed for registration. After placing them on the table in the reception area, she stood before us where we sat along the walls.
"The library is the place where the precious crystallization of knowledge bestowed upon us by Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, is gathered. Only those who can swear to pay respect to Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, and to handle books with the utmost care, are permitted to enter."
"I wholeheartedly agree with Professor Solange's words. The library is the paradise on earth that the Gods have bestowed upon us," I said.
Solange beamed at my words. I had a feeling Solange and I would get along very well.
"Do you have the registration fee ready?"
At Solange's question, Richella produced a pouch of money. Solange counted it and tilted her head.
"There should be eight first-years from Ehrenfest, but this is enough for nine."
As she said this, Solange recounted the number of people seated for registration, and her eyes narrowed when she spotted Angelica sitting with the first-years.
"So there's an upper-class student registering as well. Students who don't register in their first year very rarely do so later, so this makes me very happy."
Since registration required a fee, not all new students registered at the library. And students who didn't register in their first year typically just graduated without ever doing so.
After paying for everyone, we received an explanation of how to use the library.
"The books on the first floor are mostly reference materials used in coursework. Within the reading room, you may carry them around, read them wherever you like, or copy them down. To take them outside the reading room, you'll need to complete a borrowing procedure and provide a deposit."
The deposit apparently had to be equal to the value of the book. And borrowed books had to be returned by the day before graduation at the latest. They really did lend them for quite a long time.
"On the second floor, rare books not used in Royal Academy lectures are chained in place. You may only read them on-site. Naturally, they cannot be borrowed, and the chains will not be removed even within the reading room."
We were told that eating and drinking was prohibited in the reading room, that it opened at the second-and-a-half bell and closed at the sixth bell, and several other rules.
"Only those who can swear to observe all of these rules and handle books with the utmost care will be granted registration."
"I swear!"
When I raised my hand, Solange happily narrowed her blue eyes and said, "Then let's begin with Lady Rozemyne," beckoning me to the table by the window.
It would be the first registration from Ehrenfest. I asked Wilfried, "Is it all right if I register first?" He gave a slight shrug and waved his hand dismissively. "Go ahead."
"Mufufu, fufun."
I sat across from Solange at the table. She handed me a blank sheet of parchment and a pen that wrote with Magic Power.
"Now then, please write on this paper: 'I swear to pay respect to Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, to strictly observe the library's rules, and to handle books with the utmost care.'"
I wrote as instructed. Then I was told to write my name after that statement, which I did.
Solange verified it, and as she signed her approval, the paper burst into golden flames and burned away. It was something like Contract Magic with the library, and with this, my magic registration was complete.
"Who shall be next?"
"That would be me."
Switching places with Wilfried, I sat back down in a chair and waited for everyone else to finish registering. The moment the last person's registration was complete, I stood up with a beaming smile.
"Then, let us head to the reading room at once!"
"My lady, today is registration only. I've told you many times, haven't I?"
Richella's expression turned severe. If this continued, I wouldn't even get to fulfill my ambition of taking a stroll through the reading room before being sent back to the dormitory.
The paradise I couldn't enter, once again... that reality was bearing down on me, and I gasped—No!
"Richella, I just want to at least see the reading room! Please, let me into the library!"
"If you go in once, my lady, you'll never come out. Prying you away from books is backbreaking work. The afternoon practical will begin shortly, and entry into the reading room is not permitted."
"To the library..."
The moment Richella refused, tears welled up in an instant and spilled over like a dam breaking. I'd been told time and again that a noble lady must never be seen crying, but every bit of that advice had been blown clean out of my head.
As I hung my head, mumbling "Library, library," tears streaming down my face, everyone around me panicked.
"Richella, Rozemyne got all the first-years to pass their coursework just so she could come to the library. Surely a brief walk through the reading room would be all right?"
"With this many people here, when the time comes, we can simply tear her away from the books and carry Lady Rozemyne out on our shoulders—there won't be any delay, I'm sure."
At the words of Wilfried and Cornelius, the first-years who had been made to cram for their coursework to register at the library chimed in, "Please, grant her this one wish." Hearing everyone's pleas, Richella sighed with a wry smile and relented.
"But my lady—you really are only looking, correct?"
"Yes! Thank you all so much!"
I was about to scrub at my eyes with my hands when Lieseleta stopped me and wiped my tears with a handkerchief.
Solange, who had been watching this exchange, chuckled softly.
"If you'll permit me, I'd be happy to give you a tour of the reading room. Students who desire the library this much are quite rare, and it makes me happy as well."
"Thank you so much, Professor Solange. The encounter with the paradise bestowed by the Gods—I have been truly, earnestly looking forward to this. Let us give thanks to Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, for this meeting with the Royal Academy's library!"
I could go to the library. After being forbidden by Richella and falling into despair, I threw both hands up in the air and raised my left leg, overcome with emotion.
"Prayers to the Gods!"
In the fullness of my joy, I genuinely thanked the Gods and offered my prayers. The moment I did, a surge of blessed Magic Power erupted from my ring with a brilliant burst of light! Since I had been praying to Mestionora, the Goddess of Wisdom, the room was flooded with a golden glow.
As Solange stared wide-eyed at the blessing of light, Wilfried sighed, "So it's come to this," and Hartmut laughed delightedly, "As expected of Lady Rozemyne—creating her own saint legend all on her own."
...I'd done it again.
As I quietly averted my gaze toward the back of the room, the black rabbit and the white rabbit behind the screen popped up to their feet. I'd thought they were just large stuffed animals, but they came trotting over on two legs.
"Wha—? The 'rabbits' moved!"
"Oh my! That's
Solange's eyes went wide as she called out to the two of them. Black and White—their names were exactly what they looked like.
The two rabbits, each about as tall as my shoulder, walked right past Solange and stood before me.
"Lady, how can we help?"
"Work? Work?"
The rabbit with the deep golden magic stone on its forehead turned its round golden eyes toward me. Not understanding the meaning, I looked to Solange for help.
"...Professor Solange, what are these exactly?"
"They are Magical Tools that helped with library work when several high-ranking nobles served as Librarians. They're dolls that, when infused with Magic Power, assist their master. Since Lady Rozemyne's blessing gave them Magic Power and brought them to life, you must be their master now."
Solange, a middle-ranking noble, apparently hadn't had enough Magic Power to activate them. "To see Schwartz and Weiss moving again..." she said, even tearing up with emotion.
"Then, Schwartz and Weiss—please help Professor Solange."
If these two were the library's helper dolls, then having them assist with the library was the best choice. At my words, the two rabbits nodded.
"Understood. We'll help Solange."
"Solange, what should we do?"
Looking down at Schwartz and Weiss, Solange narrowed her eyes with fond nostalgia.
"First, let me show Lady Rozemyne around."
The music instructors are planning a tea party.
And the library registration is complete.
Next up: Schwartz and Weiss.