Ascendance of a Bookworm

Melchior and I left the guard knights who protected the temple from each of our attendants, ordered them to take turns guarding the temple gates one by one, and to maintain close communication with the knights at the downtown gate. I told Monica, Nicola, and Wilma to stay behind with Filine and the orphanage director to organize the orphanage and prepare for the prayer ceremony.

“If anything happens here, I will contact Darmel. Everyone should split up and send ordnance to the downtown gate. For communication with the orphanage, send ordnance to Filine. Make sure the orphans evacuate according to their training.”

“Understood.”

Leonore and Judith, who had come to escort me, along with Brother Cornelius and Hartmut who were accompanying me to the meeting, returned to the castle. Ottilie, Liselotte, and Grethia were there to greet us.

“Welcome back, Lady Rosemine.”

“I’m back. …Is Clarissa with Roderich in the library?”

“Yes. They were eager, saying they were making magic paper for Lady Rosemine. Roderich’s skills in concoctions have improved a lot under Clarissa’s guidance. Roderich has also been working hard on mana compression, which increased his mana, but experience is important too.”

Ottilie explained with a chuckle. Since Roderich is the first civil servant to have done the name offering, before heading to the central city, Clarissa has been drilling him hard to improve his concoction skills enough to help his master.

“I often go to the library with Clarissa, and I’ve also been forced to do a lot of concoctions.”

Judith said she was taught various ways to make magic tools that she could throw. It’s helpful, but Clarissa’s Dunkelfelger-style teaching method is apparently quite strict.

“It’s important both that Roderich improve his concoction skills to avoid being looked down on in the central city, and that Judith can make her own weapons.”

I’m too busy with my own matters, so honestly, Clarissa’s actions are a great help.

“The meeting is in the afternoon, Lady Rosemine. Shall the attendants accompanying you be the usual ones?”

“This time, I’ll take Liselotte. She’s the one who will stay with me in the central city.”

When I told Ottilie that I would be accompanied by Liselotte instead of her, Ottilie smiled and nodded.

“That sounds good. Then Grethia and I will prepare for the move to the central city. The luggage here has already been sorted, and once we get notice from the royal family, it can be packed immediately. How about the luggage from the temple and library? If there’s anything to bring to the central city, please gather it and start moving it to the castle.”

Just like Lord Ferdinand had done, the time has come for me to close the secret room in the temple and move out the luggage. Even though it’s busy, preparations for the move are steadily progressing.

“Since Roderich and his group used up many materials in the temple’s secret room recently, instead of restocking, I moved the remaining materials and tools to the library’s workshop. Also, most of the things in the temple will be handed over to Filine. But the things to be moved are mostly large items…”

The luggage I’m moving from the temple consists mostly of large things like mattresses, futons, and bookcases. They’re still used at the temple until the last moment. Though moving them is tough, the amount of luggage isn’t that much.

“How much luggage do you expect to move from the library?”

“I wrote a letter to Lord Ferdinand asking how many books and materials we can bring to the central city. It was sent with a meal from Foster Father, so now we’re just waiting for a reply. How’s the progress on the costumes? Will they be ready by the lords’ council?”

Ottilie nodded. The attendants are urging everyone’s dedicated staff to make the costumes all at once. It seems it’s about time to have fittings.

“Since we don’t know what will be discussed in the afternoon meeting, let’s decide the fitting date after the meeting.”