The New Librarian

The New Librarian

The New Librarian

Every single Ehrenfest student attended their classes the next day, and before we knew it...

“All the first-years passed!”

Theodore gleefully reported this achievement, overjoyed to have passed his first-ever class. We shared in his excitement while we all ate lunch together. Brunhilde had informed me that the fifth-years had all passed with ease, and we third-years had, of course, done the same.

“That said, Theodore—we third-years not only passed, but we also did so with perfect marks. Heh heh heh...”

I couldn’t suppress a chuckle. As third-years, we had exams for both our shared classes and our specialty courses. Today we had done the exams for our shared classes, which required us to recall the names of all the gods. Naturally, this was a simple task for those of us who had been raised with karuta and picture books. It was so easy, in fact, that it had actually been a little underwhelming.

“If your exam was that straightforward, then even I would have gotten a perfect score,” Theodore muttered. “I wish I were a third-year already...”

I turned my attention to his sister. “Judithe, the fourth-years have written lessons this afternoon, correct?”

“Correct. And we’re all going to pass,” she replied with a confident grin. “We didn’t spend the past year studying for nothing.”

Theodore joked that she would need to be careful about tripping over her own feet and somehow failing—and it was then that an ordonnanz flew in.

“Lady Rozemyne, this is Solange. The Sovereignty has sent a new librarian and asked that she be registered with Schwartz and Weiss. When will you have the time to come by?”

The message repeated twice more, and the joy in her voice was unmistakable. She had waited years for another librarian to be sent from the Sovereignty, and now she wouldn’t need to spend the majority of the year all alone, nor would she have to do all the work by herself.

I gazed up at Rihyarda, who was serving me, and she nodded with a smile. “The registration should not take long. We may head there after eating. The librarian will certainly struggle to carry out her duties without having Schwartz and Weiss registered to her. I must stress, however, that there will not be any time for you to read, milady.”

“N-Not even a little?” I asked, desperate. It hadn’t taken very long at all to register Hildebrand and Hannelore, so I couldn’t see why we wouldn’t have time.

Rihyarda sighed. “I will shut your book the very instant the library signals it is time to leave, whether you like it or not.”

Woo-hoo! Library time! Library time!

I told Solange that I would be going to the library after lunch, then asked my retainers to prepare.

Theodore smiled. “This is exciting. I’ve never been to the Royal Academy’s library before.”

“Um... as you have not yet been registered, I am afraid you cannot accompany us today,” I said. I understood the joys of one’s first trip to the library painfully well, but he would simply have to wait.

Theodore slumped over, clearly disappointed. “So out of all your retainers, I’m the only one who has to stay behind...?”

“I will make arrangements for you and the other new students to be registered. Please be patient until then,” I said, trying to console him both as his lady and as an older student. In truth, however, I was struggling not to break into a smile.

Because, I mean, his pouty expression makes him look just like Judithe whenever she’s all, “But I’m a guard knight too”! They really are siblings!

There was no denying that the similarity was adorable, but I elected to stifle my laughter; pointing it out now would only make Theodore feel even worse. But then Judithe tipped me over the edge. “Pouting like that in front of your lady is embarrassing!” she said, wagging a finger at him and putting on a “big sister” face despite the fact that she always pouted as well.

Unable to contain it any longer, I suddenly burst into laughter—and then my retainers all did the same.

“Wh-What’s with everyone?” she asked. “What’s going on?”

We couldn’t stop laughing. They were even similar in how they looked around at us all, lost for words. It took Leonore, who was holding a hand over her mouth to maintain some semblance of elegance, to clarify.

“Theodore’s pouting expression looks identical to your own when you wail about not receiving work as a guard knight, Judithe.”

“We are not identical, Leonore!” they both shouted at the exact same time—which only served to make us laugh even harder.

And so we started toward the library, leaving behind Theodore, who was still pouting about us all having laughed at him. Lieseleta spoke cautiously as we trudged down the hallway.

“Um, Lady Rozemyne... does this new librarian mean that you will no longer be Schwartz and Weiss’s master?”

“I imagine so? Schwartz and Weiss are the library’s magic tools, and their master was once an archnoble librarian, so it makes sense that I would return them now.”

I had been providing the two shumils with mana both to make my time in the library more comfortable and to assist with its management, but it wasn’t like I was invested in being their master. It was best for them to go to the new archnoble librarian, whom Solange had so fervently hoped for while running the library by her lonesome.

“Even knowing that this is how things must be, I cannot help but feel it is a shame...” Lieseleta said, resting a hand on her cheek and letting out a truly disappointed sigh. It was a rare sight; she seldom expressed her feelings so openly. “Their new master will need to prepare new clothes for them, I presume? I went out of my way to fashion some new outfits for them to wear, but it seems we will not have an opportunity to use them.”

Because we had put all of our embroidery on the vest and apron, we could swap out any other parts of the shumils’ clothes with ease. Lieseleta had apparently made a new dress and pair of pants for them.

“You truly do love shumils, don’t you?” Philine and Judithe said in perfect unison before heaving emotional sighs.

Lieseleta blushed a little, embarrassed. “I do, but I did this to market Ehrenfest’s new dyeing method.”

“Well, at the very least, it will take some time for the new clothes to be prepared after the exchange. It took us an entire year, even with Ferdinand assisting us. If we first consult Professor Solange and the new librarian, then I am sure they will allow us to provide Schwartz and Weiss with new outfits for the year.”

It was possible that the Sovereignty could prepare new clothes faster than we could in Ehrenfest, but even then, I couldn’t imagine that they would be finished prior to Lieseleta’s graduation.

It certainly will prove a challenge, trying to supply Schwartz and Weiss with mana while at the same time dyeing the cloth and thread for their embroidery.

“Lady Rozemyne, thank you ever so much for taking the time to come to the library on your very busy first day.”

Solange greeted me from outside the reading room, having been waiting with Schwartz and Weiss. We exchanged the usual, lengthy noble greetings, then began walking to the office. Only now that I was here in the library did I really feel that I was back at the Royal Academy.

“It is good that a new librarian has been sent from the Sovereignty, but she will not be able to do her work if she cannot touch Schwartz and Weiss,” Solange explained. “As she is an archnoble, I thought it best that we transition ownership to her as soon as possible.”

It seemed that she felt deeply troubled about relying on a student for their mana when they needed it for their classes. She also regretted that my ownership of the two shumils had forced me into a ditter game against Dunkelfelger that I would rather have avoided.

“Furthermore, you are taking both the scholar and archduke candidate courses starting this year, no?” Solange continued. “Taking two courses at once will require a great deal of mana, so I am glad the librarian arrived in time for this year.” Her blue eyes wrinkled in a caring smile, and the realization that she had genuinely been worried for me made a warmth spread through my chest.

“I, too, am glad you finally have somebody to work with, Professor Solange, after spending so long working in the library alone.”

“Oh, yes. Even just having someone to speak with cannot be compared to working alone. This new librarian is a bookworm like you, Lady Rozemyne, so I am sure you will become fast friends.”

“I am looking forward to meeting her. Her being a woman is also convenient, as she shouldn’t take issue with the tools calling her ‘milady.’”

We continued toward Solange’s office. I was excited to see what kind of person this bookworm librarian was... but when we stepped inside, she was far from the only one waiting for me.

“Professor Solange... isn’t there only one new librarian?” I asked.

“Indeed, but as this is the handover of a royal heirloom, it was decided that royalty should also be present. You were an exception, Lady Rozemyne, as you registered your mana without even touching them.”

I averted my eyes, aware that it was exceptionally bizarre to become the owner of two magic tools by praying to the gods out of excitement and popping out a blessing after registering at a library. Even I started to blink in surprise when I thought back on the things I had done.

Aaanyway... Royals must have it rough if they’re obligated to attend even a simple registration. Or, actually... is this kind of thing why there always needs to be a member of the royal family in the Royal Academy?

“Rozemyne.”

“Lady Rozemyne. It has been some time.”

Our arrival clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed. The royal family’s retainers moved to the walls to make space—and to my surprise, Hildebrand wasn’t my only unexpected guest. Eglantine was with him as well. I widened my eyes, not having expected to see her.

“Lady Eglantine, why are you here at the Royal Academy?” I asked.

“Ahaha. Surprised, I see. In truth, I have been tasked with serving as the professor of the archduke candidate course. We will be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.”

The professor who had been teaching the archduke candidate course before was a fairly old member of a branch of the royal family and had told the king that they wished to retire soon. Eglantine had then been selected as a replacement.

A noblewoman marrying a prince and then becoming an academy professor, hm? True love stories are stranger than fiction.

I certainly hadn’t considered that I might see Eglantine again in the Royal Academy—let alone as one of my professors. It was a surprise, but also a welcome one, as the last thing I wanted was another professor like Fraularm bothering me.

“Lady Rozemyne, allow me to introduce you,” Eglantine said, then indicated the forty-something-year-old next to her. “This is Hortensia, the Royal Academy’s new archnoble librarian.”