Published: September 6, 2025
I stared at my own hands. I want to protect the people who are important to me. I want the power to do so. That’s something I’ve always thought. Avoiding Lord Ferdinand’s implication was the driving force behind my desire for Gultrishite. But when asked if I want to become Zent, or if I truly desire that, my answer comes quickly.
“I only want to increase the means to protect those dear to me. I don’t particularly want to become Zent and rule over Jurgenschmidt. If there’s someone capable, I honestly want to just hand everything over. I have no desire to go somewhere that would reduce my reading time or make it harder to get new books.”
When I answered with a bit of casualness in my tone and attitude, Foster Father leaned back in his chair, snorting as he relaxed his posture.
“I know that much. That’s precisely why I say: leave it be until they call you after the deadline has passed. Even if it’s a month or two, if you neither want it nor are prepared, becoming Zent is not something you should willingly pursue.”
To become Zent, one must publicly announce possession of Gultrishite at the lords’ council, be approved by the head priest of the Central Temple, and obtain the foundation of Jurgenschmidt. Right now, I am merely a next Zent candidate holding a half-baked Book of Mestionora, lacking some knowledge necessary to do Zent’s work properly.
“If you wear a face that clearly shows you reluctantly took Gultrishite because you were ordered to, and if someone with troublesome powers tries to shove responsibilities onto you, just throw those troubles away. Otherwise, you’ll keep getting more and more unwanted burdens forced upon you.”
“Foster Father!?”
I glared at him, wondering what sudden words he was spouting, but he just crossed his arms and looked away.
“Even in the preliminary talks, it felt like there was no consensus even among the royal family. Even if you got Gultrishite, the royal family and the high-ranking territories won’t truly accept you as Zent. They’ll only make it convenient for themselves. They have no hesitation in manipulating the lower territories as they please.”
“You speak quite freely.”
“There won’t be many chances to speak such frank truths anymore. Above all, I forgot you don’t understand the language of the nobles.”
Not only his attitude, but even his expression was unguarded as Foster Father looked at me.
“To be blunt, I really don’t like the situation where someone like you—once a commoner, baptized as a high noble, and adopted as my daughter—has to bear the burden of Jurgenschmidt. You should be spreading blessings at the temple, praised by orphans, expanding the printing business to get new books, and discussing with familiar merchants how to develop the city of Ehrenfest.”
That’s the greatest freedom I’m allowed in Ehrenfest, something absolutely impossible in other territories.
“Do you need Rosemine to protect Jurgenschmidt? That may be true, but isn’t it the royal family’s role to protect Jurgenschmidt? They arrogantly reign without Gultrishite, issuing royal decrees to send Ferdinand to Arensbach or take you away, so instead of making you bear Jurgenschmidt now, shouldn’t the royal family bear it?”
Foster Father, apparently infuriated by being told that Ehrenfest’s shortage of nobles and mana is their own fault due to purges and sibling quarrels, railed against the royal family.
…Indeed, I don’t want to hear that from a royal family who lost Gultrishite and messed up Jurgenschmidt in their sibling fight.
The removal of Veronica and the former head priest was something Foster Father had to do even if it meant cutting off his own base, and the purge that followed was necessary to purge the lingering rot.
The nobles in Ehrenfest have greatly diminished, and mana is scarce; the nobles are in chaos, but I don’t think the purge should not have been done. Besides, the current chaos is because Ferdinand, who should have supported Aub the most, was taken away. Without the constant royal decrees, the chaos would have been much less.