Ascendance of a Bookworm

“Scripture fundamentalism, huh… That’s a complicated matter.”

Ferdinand lightly tapped his temple with his fingertips.

“To put it simply, it’s a group that claims whatever is written in the Sacred Scripture is the absolute truth, and even the king should abide by it. Originally, according to the Scripture, it’s wrong to seize the throne by force through a political upheaval. The kingship is chosen by the gods, granted to the one who bears the Gultrishite. Therefore, the group’s purpose was to stop conflicts and leave everything to the divine selection.”

Ferdinand began explaining the history of scripture fundamentalism, weaving in some rather soporific details. After reading countless reports, being bombarded with endless historical accounts was tough. I waved my hand lightly to stop the explanation.

“…Alright, Ferdinand. So, what kind of group are they now?”

“If I recall correctly, the scripture fundamentalists with the most influence today insist they do not recognize the current king because he does not possess the Gultrishite. I believe the king lost the Gultrishite during the political upheaval?”

The central temple tried to reject the current king’s coronation on the grounds that he lacked the Gultrishite. However, the royal family and nobility have drastically reduced, and nearly half of the important magic tools have ceased to function. Without the king’s coronation after winning the upheaval, the kingdom can’t hold together. Even if they rejected the king, the temple wouldn’t receive any funding without a monarch. Although the temple side is somewhat isolated and naïve, they reluctantly accepted the king’s accession.

“They say ‘follow the Scripture’ with their words, but many aim to claim as much power as possible. The king, lacking the Gultrishite, ordered blue priests and blue shrine maidens from various territories to silence the temple, which angered the former head priest greatly.”

“I see. So, it’s a group that complains about the king just to gain some privileges. Then, it’s not a group that really involves Rosemine much.”

I could not help but feel wary at the word “Scripture,” but Rosemine is a child uninterested in power. She even says she only wants the freedom to manage the library and has no interest in burdensome lordship. She wouldn’t pay any attention to power related to the king.

“I have to prepare answers to the questionnaire from Rosemine. According to it, she has completed all her lectures. If she’s confined to the library, we might get fewer reports.”

Ferdinand said this, tapping his temple lightly as he stood up. It was unusual for him not to reveal the questionnaire here.

“What kind of questions did Rosemine send?”

“Troublesome questions about Hilsure that give me a headache. Well then, excuse me.”

Since Hilsure is Ferdinand’s mentor, he is the one well-informed about Hilsure in Ehrenfest. Ferdinand muttered, “How should I answer…” as he left the room. Karlstedt and I saw him off.

‘My older sister went to the library to decide the day for Schwarz and the others to change clothes, and she said she encountered Prince Hildebrandt. Is this a common occurrence? (Charlotte)’

‘The prince does not usually appear publicly, so Rosemine was optimistic that they wouldn’t meet again. But I have a very bad feeling about this. (Wilfried)’

…Father too, Wilfried. I have a really bad feeling about this.

“So, they did make contact after all.”

“Why are you so calm about this, Ferdinand!?”

“…They’ve only met; nothing has happened yet. It’s just the beginning. If you lose your composure now, you won’t survive the upcoming reports. Calm down, Sylvester.”

“How can I stay calm hearing such ominous words!? I’m only more anxious now!”

Ferdinand, waving his hands, was far too calm. Royal family involvement was no small matter. The prince hasn’t even enrolled yet, and normally we wouldn’t meet any royal family member.

“Troubles will escalate quickly from now on. Remember last year? We interfered in the marriage affairs of royalty who should have only met during social gatherings and dedication dances. Look at Hartmut’s report; it’ll only make you more anxious.”