Published: August 10, 2026
Leaving the diversion to Dunkelfelger, we Ehrenfest jumped over the temple gate and landed in the temple courtyard.
The inside of the gate was deathly quiet. Perhaps because it was the dead of night, when everything had already fallen asleep, there didn't seem to be a gatekeeper anywhere, and even though several Mounts had landed, not a single voice called out to question us.
"...Something seems odd."
If there had been a gatekeeper, we would have had to restrain them or force them to take us to the head priest or high priest, so as someone who didn't want to do anything too terrible to the gray priests, I felt a little relieved. But it was almost too quiet.
"Do the Arensbach temple not have gatekeepers?"
"Unfortunately, I have no information about the interior of the temple. During the prayer ceremony, the priests carried the Holy Grail, so we did not enter the temple..."
Justox shook his head. "I'm sorry I can't meet your expectations."
With Arensbach's close aides constantly hanging around him, Justox had been gathering as much information as possible; he probably hadn't had the spare time to visit the temple and investigate it.
"Then the only way to learn about this temple is to ask someone from here. I'll take the named guard knights and finish what I need to do in the temple, so Justox and Hartmut..."
"Please wait, Lady Rosemine. This is not the Ehrenfest Temple. I cannot allow you to enter another territory's temple without first confirming the situation inside."
Hartmut, in the back seat, pulled one of the wooden boxes from the baggage toward himself and said that with a smile.
"Hartmut, what are you saying? We don't have time, and if I don't go..."
"To allow Lady Rosemine to enter another territory's temple, purification is required. As your former high priest, I will handle it, so please wait inside the Mount for a little while. Since silencing people is easy, I would like Matthias and Laurenz, who have offered their names to Lady Rosemine, to help me. I will leave Cornelius, Leonore, and Angelica, who have not made a name offering as Lady Rosemine's guards. Would that be acceptable?"
Hartmut said that while hugging the wooden box, wearing a smile that left no room for argument. I had not told anyone besides Foster Father where the foundation was located in the temple. And yet Hartmut seemed to have guessed it. Surprised by his smile that seemed to understand everything, I answered evasively and confirmed it.
"...Hartmut, you know where I intend to go in the temple, don't you?"
"We came here after deciding to seize Arensbach's foundation for Lord Ferdinand's sake. Where to go in this temple becomes obvious if one considers what happened when Lady Rosemine disappeared. Besides, you were also concerned about defending Ehrenfest."
Even though I hadn't clearly said anything, he seemed to have figured out almost everything. Hartmut's powers of observation were as amazing as ever.
"Lady Rosemine, am I wrong in my prediction?"
There wasn't even time for a back-and-forth. If Hartmut knew the destination, and I wasn't allowed to enter until the inside had been confirmed, then I had no choice but to leave it to him. I took several folded magic papers from my leather pouch and handed them to Hartmut.
"...These are entry permits. Get them signed by the head priest or high priest, and then look for the goddess in the bookshelf. There may be a mechanism to keep intruders out, just as we expected. Please be careful."
"Understood. ...If possible, I would like Justox's perspective and knowledge to predict and dismantle any mechanisms or traps. As Lord Ferdinand's close aide, he won't say anything unnecessary, will he?"
Justox gave a wry smile at Hartmut's words, spoken with a meaningful smile of his own.
"I'll cooperate as much as needed to help Lord Ferdinand, princess."
"What about Brother Eckhardt?"
"Please let him guard the princess. In the present situation, we cannot reduce Lady Rosemine's guard knights any further. Lord Ferdinand would scold us."
Hartmut, carrying the wooden box, and Justox got off the Mount, and Leonore climbed on in their place. Angelica, Brother Cornelius, and Brother Eckhardt seemed to be guarding the area around the Mount.