Ascendance of a Bookworm

Was it really all right to send an underage lord candidate like Hannelore to Arensbach? With my cheeks twitching, I turned my gaze to Lord and Lady Aub, who were standing side by side. Even the principal wife had a completely unconcerned expression, and it did not feel like something we could stop now.

As Hannelore herself had said, maybe it was recommended in Dunkelfelger, but in Ehrenfest it was unthinkable.

Just as I was thinking that the differences in customs between territories were too great, I suddenly realized something.

I'm the one leading the charge into another territory as an underage female lord candidate. I can't say "that's impossible" to Dunkelfelger. It all comes back to me.

......Aaaahhh! Could it be that I'm the most impossible existence of all!?

"Lady Rosemine, may I have a moment?"

When Leonore called out to me, I snapped to attention.

"If Lady Rosemine is going to greet Aub, then in the meantime I would like to confer with Dunkelfelger's knights. It would be too late after we arrive at Arensbach's National Border Gate."

Judging from Dunkelfelger's reaction, the teleportation must make the gate light up. Since we wanted to avoid battle as much as possible and race straight to the temple, there was no time to calmly discuss things after reaching Arensbach's border gate. It would be better to go over information, signals, and so on now.

"Please do."

"I will leave Lady Rosemine's protection to Angelica and the civil officials. Everyone, let us go."

Taking the map I had handed her, Leonore headed over to Dunkelfelger's knights. A normal person might wonder what she meant by leaving my protection to civil officials, but the civil officials here were Justox, who Ferdinand counted as combat strength, and Clarissa and Hartmut, civil officials from Dunkelfelger who were more inclined toward martial matters. I thought Leonore's rational judgment was not wrong.

......So Heisshitze-san is the de facto commander of Dunkelfelger?

The knight standing beside Hannelore seemed to be Heisshitze. He was wearing a familiar blue cloak and was staring at the map with a serious expression, muttering, "Where on earth did you get such a detailed map?"

"Lady Rosemine, I will also participate in the meeting as a commander."

Hannelore smiled with a smile and moved toward the knights, so I turned back to Lord and Lady Aub and Restiraut. Then I thanked them for responding to our request for cooperation from a high-ranking territory, and informed them that I had been able to contact the royal family.

"I am sure you will believe that my words are true if you look at this royal crest. It was a gift from Prince Siegiswald."

I pulled the necklace Siegiswald had given me out from my clothes so Lord and Lady Aub could see it.

"Only hearing Aub's account left us half in doubt, but if you were given a crest of that quality, then it seems there was no mistake."

After letting out a slow breath while looking at Aub Dunkelfelger, the principal wife smiled and looked at me.

"Dunkelfelger will follow Zent's wishes."

"Thank you very much."

"Then I shall also follow Ehrenfest's request, and the real......"

Aub Dunkelfelger suddenly leaned forward, but the principal wife cut him off by fixing him with a smile that carried real pressure.

"In Dunkelfelger, if a request comes from Zent, Aub is the one who leads the knights. The relationship with the Central Knights Order and dealings with the royal family cannot yet be entrusted to Restiraut."

I could easily imagine Aub Dunkelfelger being scolded by the principal wife for saying he wanted to participate in the real ditter, and a dry laugh escaped me.

"I was surprised that it was Lady Hannelore, rather than Lord Restiraut, who would be going to Arensbach."

"As Lady Rosemine knows, I am the next aub. If Aub is going to the Central, then I must guard the foundation. This is my role, and not something I can leave to Hannelore."

I praised Restiraut while glancing at Aub Dunkelfelger, who apparently had been pouting about wanting to join the real ditter.