Zent Candidates

Zent Candidates

Zent Candidates

I was about to go back into the archive, resolved to leave everything in Magdalena’s capable hands, when Hannelore timidly called out, “E-Erm, Lady Magdalena...”

“Yes, Lady Hannelore?”

“Rather than continuing to work in the archive, perhaps we should... hide, or something of the like, so that we do not cross paths with Lady Detlinde. Should we not keep our working here a secret?”

Magdalena paused in thought. “It would be safest for you to remain here, as we do not know how many guards Lady Detlinde has brought or what she intends to do... but you are largely correct.”

If we stayed put, then it wouldn’t matter how many guards were accompanying Detlinde; none of them would be able to enter the archive with her. That made it the safest place for us, but avoiding detection entirely was still the best outcome.

“An encounter on the stairs would prove most dangerous of all...” Leonore said. We were all at a loss for words, but the sudden appearance of an ordonnanz brought us back to our senses. It landed on Magdalena’s wrist, then started to deliver a message from Solange. She was speaking in a hushed voice, as if concerned about who might overhear her.

“This is Solange. Lady Detlinde is coming to my office to receive her library registration. If you wish to keep the young ones out of sight, hide them at the back of the closed-stack archive. I will assist you in leaving through another exit later.”

Solange had known that we were eating lunch here in the underground archive, so she had gone to the trouble of contacting us. If she could buy us some time and help us to escape, she would be doing us a tremendous favor.

And here I thought I would get to hang out in the archive all day. Curse you, Lady Detlinde.

“If you wish to avoid her as well, Lady Magdalena, then we could all hide together,” I suggested.

She shook her head. “No, it would be strange for the archive to be open without anyone inside. Furthermore, I must find out who informed Lady Detlinde of this archive and when. She should not know of a place that not even the surviving royal family was aware of. We can also assume that it was a recent discovery for her; otherwise, she would have registered while she was a student.”

True... If she had known about the archive before, then why wouldn’t she have joined the library?

“Even after Professor Solange guides you outside,” Magdalena continued, “take care not to approach the central building. Those who have finished their lunch might still be in the halls. I will send an ordonnanz once Lady Detlinde leaves the library.”

I nodded, gave her my translations, then gathered my things together in preparation to leave. In the meantime, Cornelius sent ordonnanzes to my attendants, warning them not to return to the library for the time being.

“I alone shall deal with Lady Detlinde,” Magdalena announced with a smile. “Hildebrand, do not slow the others down.” She entrusted him to his guard knights, then hurried us all out of the room.

We rushed upstairs. The door leading into the closed-stack archive had been left unlocked for our attendants, so we didn’t face any issues on that front.

Cornelius was standing by the entrance to the reading room and scanning the archive for any blind spots. “Prince Hildebrand, please hide over there, behind the farthest bookshelves. Those of Dunkelfelger, do the same. Lady Rozemyne, come to this bookshelf over here—and take care not to step out from behind it.”

The bookshelves in the closed-stack archive, where so many valuable documents were kept, all had solid back panels, meaning they were perfect to hide behind. Hildebrand and Hannelore were at the very back of the room, since they had so many retainers, while my retinue and I were waiting behind a bookshelf closer to the entrance.

“Are they not done yet...?”

No matter how long we waited, Detlinde never appeared. I was grateful that Solange was buying us time, but standing completely still was starting to hurt.

“The door is unlocked so that attendants can pass through. Remain quiet, as they could enter at any moment.”

I wanna read the books heeere...

There were so many new titles before my very eyes, and not being able to delve into them was agonizing.

Oh, what if I promise to stay quiet? Can I read then? No? Figures. I knew that would be the answer, but it was worth a shot.

I decided to hold my tongue, well aware that my request would only annoy my retainers—and that was when the door suddenly clicked open. Bright light streamed into the closed-stack archive.

“Oh my. And that letter was your reason for coming here?” Solange asked, her soft voice filling the room. She was purposefully making sure we knew why Detlinde was visiting.

“Indeed. I do not know who sent it, but they said that they sincerely wanted me to become the next Zent and that this library contained information crucial to becoming the country’s next ruler. It was surely a gift from the gods.”

Hold on a second... You came all the way here simply because an anonymous letter told you to...? Isn’t that ridiculously thoughtless for an archduke candidate?!

I knew that specifically because I’d received so many criticisms for my own thoughtless actions. Had I done what Detlinde was doing right now, Ferdinand would have given me a taste of thunder for sure. I was surprised that she had received the letter to begin with, considering that all such correspondence was supposed to go through one’s attendants.

This is unthinkable behavior for an archduke candidate, but I’m more surprised that she’s actually found what she was seeking.

Ferdinand had said that Detlinde failed to activate the magic circle because she didn’t have enough mana—but if she really was serious about becoming the next Zent, she had come to the right place.

“The letter mentioned that the Royal Academy’s library opens during the Archduke Conference, so here I am,” Detlinde said. “Meetings and tea parties continue to fill my schedule as we speak; had I not seized this opportunity to come, who knows how long I might have had to wait?”

It was rare for someone to be so busy from the very beginning of the Archduke Conference. For the first few days, the archducal couples of each duchy would all gather together for meetings, and only then were invitations given and plans made. One’s schedule would often start quite empty and then gradually become more packed over time.

Back when Ehrenfest had sat near the bottom of the rankings, our nobles had received so few invitations that many of them had considered going home early. That wasn’t the case anymore, though; Sylvester had informed me that everyone’s schedules were completely full.

In other words, he won’t be able to leave and then heroically appear elsewhere like he did when I was an apprentice blue shrine maiden.

Detlinde continued, “Prince Sigiswald triggered the magic circle during his Starbind Ceremony. It stands to reason, then, that the royal family will also come to this underground archive during the conference. I simply cannot allow the prince to get ahead of me—not when I was recognized as a Zent candidate first.”

Hortensia gave a conflicted smile and said in a chastising voice, “Such phrasing may be considered disrespectful to the royal family.”

In response, Detlinde giggled. “A family without the Grutrissheit can hardly be considered genuine royalty. I was chosen by the gods—and, by their will, I shall become a true Zent.” I wasn’t at all sure where her confidence was coming from, but her high-pitched laughter echoed throughout the closed-stack archive.