Ascendance of a Bookworm P4V9 Drama CD 4 SS: Ferdinand’s POV – The Rainbow Feystone Hair Stick

“This should be more than enough.”

I breathed a sigh of relief in my hidden room at the temple as I reached out for a recovery potion. I will only be heading to Ahrensbach upon the arrival of Spring, so it wasn’t like I needed to hurry to finish my preparations. At least that’s what I’d thought, but for some reason, I found it difficult to stay calm.

Since the purge was also scheduled to take place during the Winter, there was no harm in preparing magic tools and recovery potions ahead of time. I also needed to prepare for Rozemyne’s lectures. Using such flimsy excuses as my reasoning, I was currently engrossed in potion brewing in my hidden room.

“All that’s left is making something to safeguard Rozemyne, but what should I make and how much of it… After all, it’s not only her apprentice scholars who are a little unreliable, but the same thing applies to her apprentice knights as well.”

In contrast to my time at the Royal Academy when everyone around me was an enemy, Rozemyne was on good terms with her siblings and all her retainers were trustworthy. Since she didn’t need to be wary of her own retainers, she was currently leading a peaceful lifestyle, but her retainers weren’t sufficiently alert to danger.

“Should I prepare something that prioritises defensive capabilities while also being able to counterattack?”

If someone was dying or suffering in front of her, Rozemyne’s heart would waver and she would try to save them even if they were an enemy. Even if they were a sinner, if someone died in front of her, she would fall into a severe enough bout of depression that she’d become useless for a long while.

“In other words, if someone attacked her with hostile intentions, the counterattack would have to be weak enough so that it wouldn’t kill them whilst causing enough pain to make them stop attacking. How troublesome…”

It was going to be difficult to adjust the strength of the counterattack, and drawing the magic circle was going to be an absolute pain, but I suppose it can’t be helped. I started to look for the files documenting the protective magic circles used for Schwartz and Weiß’s clothes from amongst the papers piled up on the floor.

“…I suppose this is my duty as someone who she described as ‘being like family’ to her.”

I added a magic circle just like the ones engraved in Schwartz and Weiß’s clothes that strengthened the counterattack power whilst also adding another magic circle that would simultaneously trigger a healing effect whenever an attack that would cause instant death was cast. In this way, I created a magic circle that wouldn’t allow the target to die even if they wanted to and would only cause them to incrementally experience more pain. Every time I thought of a new magic circle, I added it to the sheet of paper.

“Lord Ferdinand, it’s almost dinnertime.”

I could hear Eckhardt calling for me from outside the hidden room. I decided to leave the room since I was right in the middle of taking a break. If I prioritise my work and hole up in my hidden room too much, Eckhardt and my attendants will bring over Rozemyne who tends to be rather annoying when she calls for me to come out. I can’t be bothered to deal with her.

“High Priest, please sit here. Lord Justus and Lord Eckhardt, please sit in those seats over there.”

Since meals in the temple are passed down in a hierarchical fashion, my attendants have told me that they prefer it if all the nobles eat together at the same time. Hence, my retainers eat together with me in the High Priest’s chambers whilst Rozemyne’s retainers eat together with her in the High Bishop’s chambers. Hartmut also returns to the High Bishop’s chambers for meals.

“Hartmut mercilessly delegated work to the blue priests. He lets his attendants take care of simple matters or preparations, while he personally takes the role of listening to the blue priests’ grudges when he distributes and collects the work.”

Justus had a wry smile on his face as he looked at me. I’m sure he wants to say that I burden myself with far too much of the temple’s work. However, thanks to my impression of the blue priests rarely finishing their work on time during the previous High Bishop’s reign, I’m reluctant to delegate any work to them.

“As long as Hartmut looks like he’s properly doing his job as the new High Priest, I don’t care about his methods. How do you assess his capabilities as Rozemyne’s head scholar?”

Justus and I have been training Hartmut in this High Priest’s office so that he becomes capable of handling not only the roles of a High Priest, but also the jobs required of Rozemyne’s head scholar.

“If you consider that it hasn’t even been a year since he graduated from the Royal Academy, on top of the fact that he didn’t have any adult scholars to guide him, I have to admit that Hartmut is exceptionally talented. Especially the part where he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty if it helps his liege. That’s a trait that you don’t often see nowadays from archnobles, so I wonder who he got it from.”

“I’m sure it’s a product of being educated by Leberecht. He’s inherited that aspect of his father’s which makes him troublesome to deal with if he were ever to turn into an enemy.”

I haven’t had many opportunities to speak with him, but I’ve heard that Florencia’s scholar Leberecht did not shy away from using dirty tricks to support his liege and ensure that Sylvester did not need to take on any more wives. He’s a man who used various schemes to direct Veronica’s ire towards me instead of his liege. In particular, the part where he’s not afraid to incorporate members of the archducal family into his plans, is an attribute that Hartmut has well and truly inherited.

“Hartmut’s education is progressing smoothly. Lord Ferdinand, how’s your potion brewing going? If you need any assistance, I’d be happy to work on it too, either at the castle or your mansion…”

“There’s no need. My preparations for Winter are more or less complete. All that’s left is to reinforce Rozemyne’s defences.”

Eckhardt looked confused when he heard my reply.

“Why Rozemyne’s defences?”

“The danger level at the Royal Academy this Winter is going to sharply rise.”

The plan to suppress the former Veronica faction is going to be carried out this Winter while the children are away at the Royal Academy. If that were to happen, the mood in the dormitories at the Royal Academy isn’t going to be the friendly one that Rozemyne is familiar with.

“Not only are the atmosphere in the dormitory and the actions of the children from the former Veronica faction unknown factors, the core of her guard knights in Angelica and Cornelius have graduated and won’t be able to follow her to the Royal Academy. There won’t be any guard knights there with the experience of failing to protect their liege, so the level of vigilance will also naturally be lower.”

Angelica, Cornelius and Damuel have the experience of failing to protect Rozemyne. Hence, they would be wary of even the most trifling of actions by Wilfried or Charlotte’s retainers, or the children of the former Veronica faction. But the other apprentice guard knights only know of the friendly atmosphere of archduke candidates working together with one another. Hence, even if they were wary towards threats from other duchies, they didn’t have the experience of routinely needing to be wary of threats from within the dormitory. This was a very significant difference.

“…The guard knights who will be present at the Royal Academy are a little unreliable. Should I set up the new protective charm so that it automatically recovers mana from the wearer, hence allowing it to be reusable?”

Until now, all the protective charms I gave Rozemyne were single-use. They used the charm creator’s mana, and after being used a single time, they could only be used again if the creator filled it back up with mana. For members of the archducal family, charms such as these were often made by their scholars or attendants. I also wear certain charms that were made by Justus. Protective charms that sucked up the wearer’s mana to become reusable seemed convenient at first glance, however, if the wearer was repeatedly attacked, their mana would continuously be automatically used up by the charm. Depending on how large their mana capacity was, there was a high risk of causing the user to run out of mana. It was often said that one shouldn’t use them unless something happened to all their guard knights.

“I see. Taking milady’s mana capacity into account, that might be the better option. She can wear it along with her single-use protective charms and save it as a last resort…”

“Wait, Justus. Why are we operating under the assumption that Lord Ferdinand will be the one making the protective charm? Regardless of what kind of protective charm we decide to equip her with, there’s no need to inconvenience Lord Ferdinand with something as trivial as this. Isn’t it fine to just leave this job to Rozemyne’s scholars? Otherwise, what’s even the point of her having retainers?”

Eckhardt looked displeased. He seemed to be dissatisfied with the fact that I was the one making the charm. To be specific, he was unhappy with me increasing my burden when I was already busy making preparations to leave for Ahrensbach.

“If Hartmut was free, I would’ve left it up to him, but I don’t think he can handle any more work right now.”

Perhaps that would’ve been possible last year, but Hartmut was currently extraordinarily busy. On top of potion brewing, High Priest duties and scholarly duties, he also had to actively participate in printing industry meetings as Rozemyne’s head scholar. Furthermore, Rozemyne had recently requested for him to assist her in making her own creations, as per a scholar’s original job description.

“Well, she can’t exactly rely on Roderick or Philine for such things. After all, milady would be able to make something far superior by herself.”

“But Lord Ferdinand, Rozemyne was the one who chose such incapable retainers. In which case, shouldn’t she take responsibility and make it herself?”

His phrasing was a bit harsh but Eckhardt was right. Rozemyne was the one who selected apprentice scholars who couldn’t even make any magic tools to ensure their liege’s safety.

“Of course I considered that idea as well. However, Rozemyne often takes completely unpredictable actions even though her body is frail. This time, I won’t be around to clean up after any mess she makes, so I don’t want to needlessly teach her how to make it.”

Rozemyne often takes bizarre actions that fall outside the range of common sense. If I teach her how to make protective charms that automatically replenish their mana, she’s going to think you can use them unconditionally by basing her standards off her own mana capacity. I can already see her mass-producing them for her retainers, only for all of them to be rendered immobile during an emergency.

…No, I’m certain she’s going to do something that goes far beyond my expectations. Just like that time she activated a magic circle to cast large-scale healing magic over the gathering spot, I’m sure she’s going to do something strange again that no one else would think of.

“So teaching her how to make the protective charm could potentially lead to mayhem later… I never even considered that possibility. As expected of Lord Ferdinand!”

Eckhardt’s blue eyes were sparkling, but being complimented in such a way doesn’t make me feel good at all. However, at least he seems to be convinced as to why I need to be the one to make the protective charm.

“I was the one who dragged Rozemyne into noble society and yet, I won’t be able to continue protecting her until the very end. Hence, at the very least, my highest priority right now is to give her as many protective charms as I can. From here on out, I will no longer be able to help her. It’s best to avoid anything that sounds like it could cause trouble in the future.”

“Understood.”

After finishing the meal which also doubled as a debriefing session, Justus and Eckhardt returned to the Noble’s Quarter. I took a bath before returning to my hidden room.

“High Priest, please come out. Lady Detlinde’s hairpin is finished.”

The next day, while I was drawing magic circles in my hidden room, I received a report announcing that Rozemyne had received the hairpin from the Gilberta Company. I got called while I was right in the middle of working so I didn’t feel like coming out. However, if I were to ignore this call, I would soon get verbally assaulted by a barrage of strange questions and remarks such as “Your attitude is disrespectful to your fiancée!” or “How long are you planning on holing up inside your hidden room?” or “Have you eaten anything yet?”. The most troubling part is that let alone the attendants in the High Priest’s chambers or High Bishop’s chambers, not even the noble retainers would stop Rozemyne.

“This is Lady Detlinde’s hairpin.”

I frowned when I looked at the box that was placed on my office desk. Usually, a gift like this would be handed over directly by the fiancé, so Rozemyne’s judgment wasn’t wrong. However, this hairpin had been requested by Detlinde because she wanted to show it off at tea parties in the Royal Academy, so Rozemyne was going to be the one to deliver it to her there.

“What’s the point of bringing it to me?”

“Ferdinand, I thought you’d like to check it before I delivered it. Would you really be okay with sending a gift to someone without even taking a look at it?”

Rozemyne looked confused as if she’d explained something obvious, but the only thing I’d done was pay the bill. Detlinde was the one who’d placed the order and I didn’t even know what kind of hairpin she wanted. I had no way of confirming whether the hairpin matched the specifications of the product ordered.

“Did the Gilberta Company deliver a hairpin that would leave you worried if I didn’t check it?”

“No way! The craftsman who made it isn’t Tuuli, but it was well-made.”

“In that case, there aren’t any problems.”

Just remembering the moment Detlinde said “Make me something more extravagant than the one Lady Adolphine wore last year”, is enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I have no complaints as long as it’s up to the standards expected of a gift to an archduke candidate from another duchy. If I’m being honest, I don’t even want to look at it.

However, Rozemyne insisted that I personally check it. She adamantly opened the box and started telling me about all the hardships that her attendants had gone through.

“It’s not bad. I understand the struggles of your attendants. If that’s all you have to report, then you can leave now. I’m very busy.”

“I’m not done yet. I’d like for us to visit the Italian restaurant together.”

…Since she looked so serious, I was wondering what she was going to say, but it was just an invitation for a meal?

“Why are you proposing such a foolish idea at such a busy time?”

If she’d thought up some sort of new dish, she could just get her personal chef to make it. I couldn’t see the point of going out of our way to visit an eatery in the lower city. However, Rozemyne didn’t back down even after I glared at her. She fervently emphasised the importance of going and eating delicious food.

“Consider it one of my farewell gifts.”

Why does she think I won’t reject it if she calls it a farewell gift? However, now that I think about it, it’s a good opportunity to hand over the new protective charm. How long will it take me to make it? In my head, I calculated the number of days it would take me to complete my workload and finish making the charm.

“Very well then. Let’s make it ten days from now.”

After choosing a date and chasing Rozemyne away, I immediately returned to my hidden room. Since I’d promised her so, I needed to finish it within 10 days. I stared at the magic circles that I’d drawn and reached out to the shelves for materials. If I take into account the need for multiple magic circles, the materials used should ideally possess all attributes.

“Out of the materials that I have on hand, which of them have all attributes…?”

After searching around, I found the rainbow feystones that originated from a regisch’s scales. I’d shared some with Justus and Eckhardt, but I still had a lot since even just a single fish had many scales. They came in all sorts of different sizes, and since they get dyed in your own mana when you harvest them, they’re a very easy material to use.

At the same time, I also remembered Rozemyne’s obsession with fish dishes and her desire to “make an accessory” out of the rainbow regisch feystones. Protective charms were usually hidden underneath clothing to obscure their effect and quantity, however, it was also possible to disguise them as accessories.

“…If I want to incorporate this many magic circles into it, I’d probably want something around about this size…”

I picked up the largest rainbow feystone out of the selection available. Considering its mana-holding capacity and attributes, this was perfect to use as the material for the new protective charm. However, if I want to make a feystone of this size into an accessory she can wear every day, the only option would be a necklace.

…That’s not really an option, is it?

Although they have different functions, based off appearances alone, it’d look too similar to an engagement magic tool. With only a single glance, you wouldn’t be able to tell it was a protective charm. It would be tactless to give something like that to Rozemyne who already had a fiancé. Regardless of how effective the charm was, she wouldn’t be permitted to wear it every day. There was no point in a charm that normally couldn’t be worn.

…I guess I have no choice but to split the magic circles amongst multiple smaller feystones to make an accessory that isn’t a necklace.

Should I make it a bracelet like all the other protective charms, or should I make it an anklet like those magic tools that assist with physical enhancement magic? Perhaps I could make it into a pair of earrings or turn it into multiple rings…

…A hair pin.

The image that suddenly emerged in my mind was that of the sister whom she parted with, Tuuli inserting her self-made hairpin into Rozemyne’s hair. From all the times she cried while reminiscing about her family in the lower city, I can tell that the hairpin Rozemyne received for her baptism ceremony was the bond that kept them connected. There would be nothing more suitable than this for a parting gift.

…She said that I was like family to her. In which case, it should be fine if I make one too.

It would be nice to make something that she can always place beside Tuuli’s hairpin. Furthermore, since it’s a protective charm, there’s no meaning to it if she can’t keep it on her at all times. Hence, I needed to make something that she could use even for formal occasions. It needed to be a design that complements Tuuli’s hairpin and adds glamour to the beauty of Rozemyne’s hair. With these conditions in mind, I selected 5 small rainbow feystones.

I put the rainbow feystones into a brewing pot before incorporating the magic circles that I’d drawn with stylo and adding the red ingredient needed to combine the feystones and magic circles. I then stirred everything together. Since there were 5 feystones in total, it consumed quite a lot of time and mana, but the task itself wasn’t particularly difficult.

…I was planning on making this an accessory but…

I folded my arms in front of the rainbow feystones that now contained magic circles for defence. What should I do about the hairpin component and the metal part that links all the feystones together?

Even if I commissioned a commoner blacksmith, I doubt they’d be able to complete it in time. And besides, there was the risk of the finished product being unsatisfactory.

…Should I make the metal part using magic?

If I do that, it won’t take too long to make and the defensive properties would be further strengthened. If it was a necklace, then some problems could potentially arise, but a hair stick should be fine. With my course of action decided, I drank a recovery potion and started looking for materials on the shelf again while I waited for my mana to recover. In order to make metal using magic, the materials needed to have the same attributes as the creator.

“These rainbow feystones are slightly lacking in life and water attributes.”

I searched for materials to add to the largest rainbow feystone to fulfill the life and water attribute requirements. After looking them up, I added the appropriate materials into the brewing pot. I mixed the ingredients together while pouring in my mana to turn the concoction into golden dust. I took out a vial of red liquid from the potion pouch that I always carried, and lightly sprinkled the golden dust into it while carefully mixing the two together. Once the liquid metal was ready, I shaped it into a thin stick that could be used as a hair accessory, and cautiously formed a chainlet with which I connected the feystones.

I pray that this can protect Rozemyne whom I cannot carelessly let out of sight. I hope that this will be able to take my place since I will no longer be able to stay by her side, and even when she cries, I won’t be able to hug and comfort her. Right now, the feelings of Rozemyne’s family are painfully clear to me.

“…Hmm. I suppose this will have to do.”

When I picked up the completed hair stick and poured mana into the rainbow feystones, the defensive magic circle lit up. After attentively checking whether there were any defects in the magic circle, I nodded in satisfaction at the finished product. This should be able to protect Rozemyne in my place.

When I shook it lightly, the rainbow feystones and the chainlet glimmered with a complex spectrum of colours. It should be able to complement any hairpin that Tuuli makes for her, irrespective of colour. The chainlet also jingled with a lovely clinking sound. I’m sure it would shine like stars against Rozemyne’s midnight-blue hair. Satisfied with the result, I gently lowered it into a box.