Ascendance of a Bookworm

A light filled with black and gold mana intersected. Feeling a slight dizziness and the unsettling blurriness before my eyes, I instinctively squeezed them shut.

“Welcome to the Ehrenfest dormitory of the noble academy, Lady Rosemine,” a voice greeted me.

Hearing that, I realized I had arrived at the dormitory. Slowly opening my eyes, I found myself in the teleportation room guarded by two knights. I had to clear the area quickly for Wilfried, who would be teleporting in next.

Prompted by Richarda, I left the teleportation room with the magic circle. My close aides were all waiting for me. Only Filine, who was in the same grade, was not present—perhaps she was tidying up the room with the attendants.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Lady Rosemine,” they said.

“Well then, Princess, please relax in the multipurpose hall for a while. I will prepare your room,” Richarda said, giving a subtle signal to the aides. She immediately moved to unpack, and I summoned my mount and rode, moving with my close aides to the multipurpose hall.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in the noble academy dormitory, but it doesn’t feel very nostalgic,” I remarked.

“That might be because the atmosphere and interior design resemble the castle. I don’t feel like we’ve really moved either. That’s why first years can get used to the dorm without much apprehension,” Judith said with a warm smile.

Because her parents were knights serving Gibe Kilnberger, Judith had her baptism ceremony at Kilnberger and only entered the castle for the first time during the Winter Social Season.

“The scale is different from Gibe Kilnberger’s Summer Hall. At first, I was nervous in the large, spacious castle with so many unfamiliar nobles. But during the Winter Social Season, going to the children’s room every day helped me gradually get used to the castle,” she explained.

Spending three years like that made the annual event routine, and the nervousness faded over time.

“Moving to the noble academy also made me nervous as it marked the start of a new life. But since the castle and dormitory are similarly designed, and more than half of the faces were ones I had spent time with in the children’s room, I felt relieved,” she added.

Although upperclassmen only met during the few days of moving to the academy, they were not complete strangers, so the level of tension was different.

I listened to Judith’s story, admiring the children’s room’s role beyond just helping us make acquaintances and adapt to noble society.

“The children’s room actually played a bigger role than expected.”

“Since you and Wilfried came into the children’s room, there have been many fun things like karuta, playing cards, and prize sweets, and everyone has been studying earnestly. So, the children’s room’s role is even greater now,” Judith said as we entered the multipurpose hall.

The hall was mostly empty and quiet. The first thing that caught my eye was a brand-new bookshelf. It was empty—no books placed yet—but stood prominently in one corner of the hall.

It was a heavy, dignified bookshelf worthy of being in the noble academy dormitory owned by the lord, with intricate carvings. Looking closely, I saw it was varnished to shine, polished to a glossy finish—my reflection visible in the wood grain.

“Wow,” I breathed in admiration, looking up at the large bookshelf. A joyful excitement spread inside me. The brand-new bookshelf in the multipurpose hall where everyone gathers was still empty. I was going to fill it with books.

“I want to put books in it soon.”

“Then I will help Richarda unpack and carry the books,” Liselotte said softly as she left the multipurpose hall after preparing tea together with Brynhildr.

Watching her go, I felt like rubbing my cheek against the bookshelf in delight. Brynhildr called to me, “You can see the bookshelf from here, you know.”

Sipping tea, I looked around the multipurpose hall with the bookshelf as the focal point. Last year, upperclassmen had gathered for the first-year welcome, so it was lively, but this year it was very quiet with few people present.