Chatper 30: Competition from below
A door closed behind me, and I now stood in one of the castle’s corridors. A small smile had already crept on my face as I was leaving the meeting room. Lady Rihyarda had informed me that Lady Rozemyne had wished to bring me into her retinue as one of her female knights. It was a pleasant surprise just after my return from the Academy.
My family was going to be both happy and relieved about the news. They were quite invested in this connection, and the recent lack of interaction between those from Leisegang and Lady Rozemyne had made them incredibly worried. From the letters I had received, it sounded a bit dire.
The initial socializing between Lady Rozemyne and my uncle’s family had begun splendidly. Our province had even been promised participation in the printing industry a whole year sooner than previously thought. However, after that meeting, Lady Rozemyne had kept more distance between her and anyone connected to Leisegang.
It seems it was a mere misconception on their part. I shook my head, keeping my content smile.
I had already been invited for the initial meetup of the future archnoble retainers, so I didn’t expect to be shunned. It was supposed to take place in Lady Rozemyne’s chambers, while she was away in the playroom.
The next morning, I entered the chambers of my new lady, and I was greeted by Lord Hartmut and Lady Brunhilde, who already waited inside. It wasn’t much of a surprise. They both had expressed their desire to serve Lady Rozemyne.
Besides them, Lord Cornelius was also present, as was Lady Otillie who had been tasked to relay the basics common to all retainers.
“I see you were chosen as well.” I smiled towards the other two newcomers.
“To be honest, I was quite surprised as I didn’t have a chance to properly speak with Lady Rozemyne,” Lady Brunhilde admitted.
Unlike me, she had shared one year in the playroom with her, but from what I had heard, Lady Rozemyne hadn’t socialized at the time. Apparently, she had mostly focused on maintaining the curriculum and her own studies.
“I was the same.” I gave an unsure smile. “Besides the initial introductions, I didn’t have a chance to socialize either.”
The unfortunate circumstances of Lady Rozemyne’s poisoning had made it pretty much impossible for us all.
“It was quite obvious that Lady Rozemyne would choose me. I managed to lay down all the groundwork beforehand,” Lord Hartmut declared proudly.
However, Lady Ottilie squashed his enthusiasm. “Actually, Lady Rozemyne wasn’t even aware of your interest in serving her. Someone else advised her to pick you.”
Lord Hartmut looked at her with a confused expression.
“To be honest, she wasn’t even aware that you were my son,” Lady Ottilie divulged with a teasing smile.
Although, the jab didn’t seem to affect Lord Hartmut’s mood too much.
“I did introduce myself with Father’s name,” he mused. “I was certain she would be familiar with the headscholar of the aub’s first wife.”
“She was studying a great many names at the time.” Lady Ottilie shook her head. “While you had years to prepare before your baptism, Lady Rozemyne was forced to do that in less than two seasons, all while working on both her duties in the temple and expanding the printing industry.”
It was hard to even comprehend that amount of a workload for someone so young, all while adjusting to a completely new role—I was in awe. While the Leisegang elders wished for Lady Rozemyne to be the aub because of the advantageous family connection, I genuinely thought of her as the most competent option.
Lady Otillie glanced at us all. “You should take that into consideration and help her with the adjustment. Her long sleep made it that much more critical. She needs to be slowly eased into expanding her network of connections, not rushed into it.”
We all nodded with firm expressions.
Hearing the warning, it made sense why Lady Rozemyne had seemed distant to my family. It was certainly true that she had very little time to adjust. Her jureve sleep must have caused a large gap in her education, making it hard to face so many nobles vying for her favor. As a knight, I was ready to stay on guard against those who would like to exploit this weakness. Even those from our own faction.
“Lady Otillie, does that mean we were all picked based on advice?” Lady Brunhilde asked.
With the apparent lack of socializing, it seemed like a reasonable assumption.
“Indeed, Lady Rozemyne mentioned her preferred candidates shortly after she woke up from her slumber and then she proceeded to ask for basic information on all of you.” Lady Otillie chuckled.
“And do you know who was the one advising her?” I wondered.
“No.” Our instructor shook her head. “But they provided some interesting options. For one, Lady Rozemyne intends to take Philine, a laynoble from her year, as her scholar.”
“A laynoble?” Lord Hartmut muttered, before producing a knowing smile. “I see. Lady Rozemyne was advised by someone after she woke up in the temple. It should be pretty obvious by whom.”
He turned our way with a knowing look. “With the way the dormitory functioned, it should be obvious to you as well.”
“You mean Mila?” Lady Brunhilde furrowed her eyebrows. “But before the dormitory, I only complained to her face about her decisions, and my family’s attitude remains quite negative towards her to this day. Why would she advise Lady Rozemyne to pick me?”
I, too, was confused. We had interacted a great deal in the dormitory, but if it had been true that Lady Rozemyne had announced her preferred candidates at the start of the winter, then I could only think of the one meeting with Mila where I received the game of treasure shumil from her. Not only had it been quite a short meeting, I had even delivered a refusal from our giebe to her offer of a paper-making workshop. We would have hardly seemed cooperative.
Was that interaction really all she needed? I couldn’t think of any positive impact on my part.
“Who else would advise an archduke candidate to pick yet another laynoble?” Lord Hartmut’s expression showed complete certainty.
It was true that I couldn’t think of anyone else who would support Lady Rozemyne on such a choice. Laynobles weren’t suited for the role of a retainer at all. Not only did they lack mana for proper support, but they would also be at a disadvantage in every interaction with retainers of the other archduke candidates.
“Hartmut, Lady Rozemyne wishes for you to help Philine with her education so that she could be chosen as a retainer with enough skill to avoid any blemish to her reputation. Preferably, before the next winter socializing,” Lady Otillie relayed.
“Wonderful.” Lord Hartmut’s smile widened as he clasped his hands.
There was strong eagerness in his eyes.
“What is so wonderful about it?” Lady Brunhilde eyed him in confusion.
She had mentioned to me once how tutoring could be quite tiring, especially with laynobles, who had lacked in many regards.
“It is important for Lady Rozemyne that one can work well with the others, regardless of status,” Lord Hartmut declared.
I still didn’t understand his enthusiasm. Naturally, I didn’t plan to abuse any colleague of lower status, but why was he so joyful?
Our confusion must have shown on our faces, as Lord Cornelius addressed us, “Hartmut’s tone might be too overeager, but he isn’t wrong. Lady Rozemyne values experience regardless of status. Damuel is her most trusted knight, and she values her temple attendants greatly.”
Temple “attendants?” Does that mean she would value their opinion even over the opinion of an archnoble retainer? Such a revelation might have been shocking a season ago, but my experience from the dormitory helped me understand such a position somewhat. Though, it still felt outlandish.
“That is certainly something,” Lady Brunhilde muttered.
She seemed just as apprehensive as me, though, similarly avoiding any direct protest.
“The official announcement has yet to come, but we can already treat ourselves as colleagues. If you do not mind,” Lord Cornelius proposed.
I nodded without issue, just like everyone else.
“Alright. Leonore, Brunhilde, what is your family’s stance on you entering the temple? I already know Hartmut’s.”
While I had agreed to this, him addressing me more casually still caused a small stir inside my chest. Though, I tried not to show it. After all, it was mere professionalism among colleagues. I cleared my mind.
“I was advised to support Lady Rozemyne as much as I could… so she would stay in the castle, and maybe leave her position as the High Bishop,” Brunhilde admitted.
“I was told pretty much the same.” I smiled guiltily.
“I thought so.” Cornelius sighed. “Lady Rozemyne wishes to conduct her business in the temple as much as possible; more female knights would be definitely useful. She might once again decide to attend a ceremony exclusively with women. In such a scenario, the castle attendants could be substituted by those from the temple, but there is nothing we can do about the knights.”
Commoners acting as guards would be quite pointless. I knew that.
The way Cornelius looked, it was obvious how worried he was about his little sister.
“I will try to persuade my parents,” I spoke up, surprising Brunhilde, who gave me a confused look.
For me, it was easier to say. I desired to form a connection with House Linkberg. Seeing how Lady Rozemyne was the High Bishop herself and was still supported by her family without any underlying contempt brought me comfort. If I married in, I couldn’t see myself being ostracized by their house for working guard duty in the temple.
Brunhilde’s situation was quite different. Her suitors hadn’t even been chosen yet, and she had to be mindful of her position. Any mark on her reputation that could potentially make her less desirable would undermine her whole province. I didn’t envy her status in this regard—too many people relied on her choices. Thankfully, my own decisions didn’t affect a whole province, or even our household as I wasn’t the heir. So I had much more freedom to act.
There was also another reason for me to volunteer for this duty. Though, that one was more embarrassing to admit.
Once we were done with our meeting, I headed home to report on the outcome. My parents heard me out, but there wasn’t much surprise when I was denied the temple visits. They wanted to persuade Lady Rozemyne to stay in the castle and push for more socialization. It should have been expected, but their decision still brought my mood down.
My second reason for going to the temple was quite selfish, but I could do nothing about the tiny bit of envy in my heart.
First it had been Angelica, with her delicate beauty and praise she had received on her skills. It had been hard to watch Cornelius spending so much time with her in their tutoring sessions. Seeing them together made me realize my feelings last year.
This year, Mila had helped me in this regard by arranging for my inclusion in Angelica’s education. What had seemed like closeness from afar turned out to be exasperation on closer inspection. Experiencing firsthand Cornelius’s reaction to Angelica’s study prowess had boosted my own confidence. He had even relied on me strongly when it came to strategies and organizing the apprentice knights.
Unfortunately, it had all happened after Estelle’s arrival at the dormitory. She looks like a character from a romance story destined to marry a prince, but Estelle had more than highborn looks. Unlike Angelica, her academic results were stunning as well. Her only flaw had been a lack of practical experience, but with every passing day she was pushing ahead.
Next to her, I seem just plain.
Naturally, I didn’t blame Estelle for any of this. She was even trying hard not to outshine me too much—however discouraging that made me feel.
I had just hoped that by spending time in the temple, I could use the next three seasons to secure Cornelius’s attention. As a retainer serving the same lady as him, this time we shared was my only advantage.
As the lesson on Lady Rozemyne’s compression method was about to start, I felt a budding tension inside me and I noticed that I had been staring around the room far more than I would like to admit. Once the doors closed, a feeling of relief spread in my chest, and I finally realized why.
Estelle wasn’t present.
While a great portion of the public was allowed to participate, all new knights who would serve the archducal family were present. Which pretty much confirmed her exclusion from serving the archduke candidates.
Knowing that, I fully focused on the lesson without much distraction. Although, a bit of the tension inside me remained. This one stemmed from great-grandfather’s presence. Seeing his frail look, I was worried whether he would be able to push through the new compression steps at his old age. The mana sickness could have been deadly.
Though, after the lesson was over, he managed to leave the room on his own two legs, which was relieving.
Immediately after the lesson, I systematically pushed through all the steps and managed to incorporate them fully before the very next day. Even just reorganizing my mana emptied so much space in my vessel that I could use a rejuvenation potion. I had to admit—the effectiveness was stunning.
I could feel the difference during our combat practice in the training grounds, and not just in my attacks. Every archknight in the vicinity felt different. Cornelius even kept glancing at me with a surprised look, most likely because the change occurred within a single day; the suddenness made it noticeable. We got closer in our mana capacity, and I could sense him more strongly.
On some level, it made him look a bit more attractive. Or maybe it was just in my mind as I was focusing on the sensation.
The change definitely pleased me. While I was still below him, I now had the same tool to push the expansion of my vessel. I was resolved to put in the time and effort to match him eventually.
Then came the awards ceremony during the last winter feast. As the archduke candidates called for their retainers among the honor students, Estelle was suddenly standing right beside me, in Lady Rozemyne’s group.
I widened my smile, trying to look friendly. It wasn’t her fault, but nothing could be done about my slight annoyance at her presence.
I still can’t sense her.
“Judithe, I’m glad you decided to join my retinue after all,” Lady Rozemyne said with a friendly smile.
Judithe looked at her with wide eyes. “Lady Rozemyne, you were looking for me specifically?”
“Oh, I mean, I heard you weren’t interested in serving in the castle,” she tried to deflect.
Since I knew about the advice that had played a role in our picks, the deflection was obvious.
However, Judithe didn’t seem to notice as her face got a bit red. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to assume. It is true that I preferred to serve in Kirnberger; however, I also want to get stronger. The practice match with Dunkelfelger showed me that I have a lot to strive for,” she said with a serious tone.
Though, while Lady Rozemyne focused on Lieseleta, Judithe muttered under her breath, “Estelle taking down an archknight with a single punch was too awesome.”
I sighed silently, keeping my smile.
No, Judithe is right. I refocused.
Seeing knights better than her made her motivated to strive for improvement. She had deliberately joined a select group serving the castle to train alongside the best. As an archnoble, I wasn’t used to this mindset.
Before Lady Rozemyne’s compression method, I had never needed to think about competition from the mednobles. The difference in mana capacity had just seemed innate. Now, there are even all those rumors about a student gaining a new color through their divine protections. It wasn’t hard to guess that the mystery student was Estelle, with her temple background and connection to Mila who had spread the rumor.
Maybe that’s why I felt anxious rather than motivated like Judithe. I wasn’t trained in this regard—to expect competition from lower status.
I merely need to get better. I exhaled.
After the award ceremony, I headed right to my father with a newfound motivation. The aub’s words reverberated in the hall, causing a stir among the surrounding nobles. To me, they were a great justification to exploit.
“Father, did you hear that announcement?” I asked, trying to look concerned. “Even the students possessing a schtappe will be allowed into the temple. The apprentice knights might not have entered their course yet, but their training is the same as those who did.”
Honestly, after this winter, I didn’t actually see any of the students from the first two years as a willing threat to Lady Rozemyne, even those from the opposing faction. And the way the noble public reacted to the temple in general, I expected their families to forbid their entry anyway. But at this moment, it was a great excuse.
Father nodded gravely.
“It would be a scandal if any harm comes to Lady Rozemyne again while her guard knight from Leisegang stayed in the castle at their leisure.”
While my own justification was partly underhanded, I still fully stood behind those words. Lady Rozemyne needed as much protection as possible. There were still far too many nobles who posed a threat to her.
“Indeed. I don’t know what the archducal family is thinking.” Father frowned. “Leonore, escort her there, and make sure no harm comes to her. With this kind of public push from the aub, it should be much harder for others to frame your guard duty in the temple as a mark on your reputation.”
I successfully managed to acquire permission.
On top of the compression method, it was yet another small victory. The only front where I was losing completely was the fight against my own embarrassment. No matter how one looked at this fight, my opponent didn’t compete at all, and her younger sister had even been helping me.
I reinforced my polite facade and pushed those silly feelings aside.