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tada-no-honzuki · 1 year ago

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Ascendance of a Bookworm (29) Part 5 Volume 8 Extra Chapter 2

This translation is not supposed to replace the official releases of the light novel series and is purely made for my own entertainment. Please purchase the official light novel when it becomes available!

Since the title of this chapter contains spoilers, it has been hidden beneath a "read more" for your safety!

[The Battle for Ehrenfest] Brigitte - The Battle of Illgner

"This is Helfried. Brigitte, could you please come to my office?"

I tilted my head in wonder as I received an ordonnanz from my brother, Giebe Illgner. Now that I was married to Victor and the paper-making industry was on track, the number of nobles living in Illgner was gradually increasing. As a result, I was rarely called into the office. The last time was when Lady Rozemyne ordered a large quantity of magic paper.

“Does Lady Rozemyne desire more magic paper?” I mumbled, mostly to myself.

"Helfried even sent an ordonnanz,” my mother replied. “That means it must be urgent, right? I will watch Lilarose for you. Now, don’t make him wait."

My mother smiled and gestured for me to get going. We had been embroidering together in the children’s room. I put my needles and thread away, then looked at my daughter, who was fast asleep in her bed.

"Thank you, mother. I hope Lilarose is a good girl and doesn’t wake while I am away."

I left my one-and-a-half-year-old daughter in the care of my mother and quickly headed to my brother’s office. Just as I arrived, Volk, a former gray priest and trusted aid of my brother, exited the office. Maybe he had heard my footsteps approach?

“Volk, I was called by my brother. May I go in?”

"Of course,” he nodded. “The Giebe is waiting for you. Please come in."

Since Volk had already opened the door for me, I went inside without knocking. I was met by the troubled faces of my husband and brother, who were both reading a letter.

“Brother, what happened?” I inquired.

"It's a letter from Lady Florencia,” Helfried replied. “Apparently, it's been sent to all Giebes."

I accepted the letter and scanned its contents. It informed us that it was highly likely that Lady Georgine of Ahrensbach would be invading Ehrenfest to obtain the foundation, so we were to increase our patrols of the area and contact the castle if we found any suspicious people.

"We received a similar request at the beginning of spring, remember?” Helfried said. “So, we were just wondering how to respond this time."

Last time, we prepared rejuvenation potions in case a battle ensued, but Illgner didn’t have many knights to begin with. Even if they told us to prepare for an invasion from Ahrensbach, there was not much we could do.

“It says it is highly likely, but I don’t get the feeling there is any particular urgency to the request,” Victor remarked. “If Lady Georgine is aiming for the foundation, Illgner holds no value.”

Illgner bordered Ahrensbach only on a small section of land. Although we had acquired some extra funds thanks to the paper-making industry, our land held no strategic value. It was too far from the castle to be used as a base of operations, and most of it bordered Frenbeltag. Attacking Illgner came with the risk of getting Frenbeltag involved as well.

“Besides, if a noble from another duchy crossed the border, the Aub would notice, right?” Victor continued. “Don’t you agree it’s unlikely to cause any issues if we act only once we are notified?”

"For now, I think we should increase the patrols and keep a close eye on the border,” I advised. “How about twice a day? Once during the day and once at night? Personally, I don't think it’s necessary, but I fear we don’t have a choice."

The mana of Ahrensbach’s land seemed to be weakening, and the duchy’s starving commoners often ventured into Illgner’s mountains in search of food. If we were going to keep a close watch on Ahrensbach, we must be wary of its commoners too, and keep them out.

“It is possible the Aub will reprimand us for overlooking certain activities until now,” Volk noted. “I feel sorry for the commoners, but we can’t please everyone. Filling their land with mana is the duty of Ahrensbach’s archducal family and its temple.”

Although Volk grew up in a temple, he was able to cut off the commoners with surprising ease. As we looked at him in surprise, he smiled, looking a little embarrassed.

“It only makes sense that when the situation changes, the treatment of the commoners changes drastically as well,” he explained himself. “It would be in Illgner’s best interest to prioritize the needs of Ehrenfest’s archducal family rather than the wellbeing of another duchy’s commoners. I also believe it would be wise to gather information from the merchants. Lumber traders go all over the place."

Even after discussing things with Victor and Volk, I couldn't think of any options but increasing the frequency of the patrols. Since we wished to prioritize the paper-making industry, our main source of income, it was difficult to maintain a state of heightened vigilance for a long period of time. Especially since we had no idea when and if Lady Georgine would invade the duchy.

"Very well, I shall inform... Oh? An ordonnanz."

Just as I was about to head out and give orders to the few knights Illgner had, an ordonnanz flew into the room. I expected it to head for my brother or Victor, but it landed on my arm.

“This is Rozemyne.”

Lady Rozemyne had been so ill that she had been unable to attend the feast celebrating spring, but it seemed she had recovered. Her voice sounded more mature than I remembered. Although I had no proof, I could tell she had grown.

“Lord Ferdinand is hovering on the verge of death due to Lady Georgine’s scheming and we expect her to use this opportunity to invade Ehrenfest. It seems she has already closed in on the border and may act as early as today or tomorrow. At the latest, it will be a few days from now.”

We exchanged worried looks. If Lady Georgine had already closed in on the border, wouldn’t that make this an emergency? Lady Rozemyne’s message conveyed an urgency that hadn’t been present in Lady Florencia’s letter. I could also tell how worried she was about us. On top of that, Lady Rozemyne even added some pointers should it come to a confrontation.

"Be very careful when the enemy is dressed in silver-colored clothes. Mana cannot penetrate this cloth. I advise you to carry weapons like the ones that commoners use at all times, since schtappe-made weapons and mana attacks have no effect. It is also possible they will utilize a powdered type of poison. Please cover your mouth with a piece of cloth. Lady Georgine will likely travel by carriage rather than highbeast if she intends to operate in the shadows. Be sure to gather information from your province’s commoners, and keep in close contact with the other Giebe along the border. Grandfather is ready to provide backup at any moment. If you notice any border irregularities, contact us immediately."

After repeating the same message three times, the ordonnanz turned back into a yellow feystone. We stared at the feystone that had warned us of the impending danger in a daze.

"That sounded quite different from Lady Florencia’s letter...” Victor muttered.

"It would be best to send a patrol out at once,” Helfried concluded. “It sounds like she will be here in a few days at the latest."

“I shall intensify my training so that I may participate in the battle.”

I had resumed training when we were informed of the impending threat in early spring, but I had been absent for a long time due to pregnancy and childbirth, so I was far from my peak fighting strength. Still, we needed as many knights as possible so we might protect Illgner and our families. The more hours of training I had under my belt, the better.

“Brigitte, I understand your enthusiasm, but please send a reply to Lady Rozemyne first,” Victor pointed out. “She likely shared this information with you because you used to be her retainer. Although you are no longer in her service, she is clearly still worrying about you.”

I immediately sent an ordonnanz to Lady Rozemyne to thank her. It reminded me of the days when I served her, and it warmed my heart to know that she still thought of me.

“This is Brigitte. We received an ordonnanz from Lady Florencia earlier, but she didn’t relay nearly as many details. I would like to thank you for the additional and valuable information. We shall keep in contact with the other Giebe and ask our citizens to keep an eye out.”

As I watched the ordonnanz fly away, my brother placed several ordonnanz stones on his desk.

“Brigitte, may I ask you to send the ordonnanzes to the other Giebe as well? The urgency of the matter would be better conveyed if they received it from you, since you directly served Lady Rozemyne.”

Since Lady Florencia's letter did not convey a sense of urgency, our warning might be ignored. However, since I used to serve Lady Rozemyne, they would likely take it seriously if I told them, “I received an urgent message from Lady Rozemyne”.

As I sent the ordonnanzes, the men in the room started discussing our next step. If Lady Georgine might commence her attack as soon as today, where should we start? There were many things to consider.

"It's important to gather information from the commoners,” Victor said. “But shouldn't we first warn those going into the mountains? It will be trouble if they come face-to-face with knights from another duchy."

“We have secured enough food to sustain a siege for a few days and the evacuation site is ready, but please consider how to guide the commoners as well,” Volk added.

"Let's issue a warning to stay away from the mountains near the border until we receive further information about Lady Georgine.” Helfried proposed. “We should have more information within a few days."

I took a deep breath as I realized that the men were only focused on protecting the commoners. While it may be the right thing to do for a Giebe, the knights would not be able to act unless they also considered what came before.

“Brother, I agree that evacuating the commoners is important, but whether Ahrensbach launches a large-scale attack at the border, or stealthily invades with a small number of people to acquire the foundation, will greatly affect the number of knights we must keep on guard duty and send out on patrols. Won't that also impact the number of people available to assist with the evacuation?”

“Brigitte, I understand what you're trying to say,” Victor said while looking at a map of Ehrenfest. “But at this point, we don't know how they are going to attack. If they intend to attack Ehrenfest from Ahrensbach, it is far more likely that they will invade through Gerlach, Wiltord, Garduhn, or Griebel. I doubt they will come all the way out to Illgner.”

If one considered the small stretch of land bordering Ahrensbach, it was certainly unlikely that we would be a target. My brother seemed to have the same idea. However, we could not let our guard down.

"Victor, I understand your point,” I countered. “But Illgner has fewer nobles and a weaker defense. If Lady Georgine is aware, it is possible we may be besieged to create a diversion."

"A diversion... "

“I see,” my brother said. “It seems like Lord Bonifatius is ready to provide aid, but we cannot say with certainty how long it will take for our request to be approved by the Aub, the orders to be issued, and the knights to be ready for departure.”

"Yes,” I agreed. “And on top of that, no matter how fast they fly, it will take them a whole day to arrive. In the meantime, we will be on our own."

As Lady Rozemyne’s former guard knight, I was the one who knew the most about the inner workings of the knight’s order. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how dangerous it would be if Illgner was targeted. Victor seemed to understand the danger we were in after my explanation.

“If prompt discovery and communication are the key, then we should increase the frequency of our patrols.” Victor agreed. “The situation isn’t likely to last more than a few days. If we only increase the patrols near the border, we should be able to achieve it with the bare minimum of people."

My brother nodded, “If our enemy aims to acquire the foundation, they will likely hurry along without slaughtering the commoners. I want you to focus on minimizing the casualties as much as possible and buying time until the reinforcements arrive.”

I immediately headed to the training grounds to inform the knights.

" ...And that's why we must increase our patrols near the border,” I explained. “I shall assist as well. Did last night's patrol notice anything of note?"

"There have been no reports of unusual activities, neither last night nor this morning," the commander of Illgner’s knights assured me. I immediately felt a wave of relief wash over me.

“Lady Rozemyne said to expect movement in the next few days,” I warned. “So, please be careful when patrolling at night. If they are planning to sneak across the border, they will likely act under the cloak of darkness.”

“It would be helpful if they would stealthily pass through when the commoners are asleep. Then we would only have to inform the archducal family…”

Our knights specialized in hunting feybeasts. Outside of practical lessons at the Royal Academy, they had no experience fighting other people. Besides, there were only fifteen adult knights in Illgner. Even if I included the apprentices and myself, we still had less than twenty people. I completely understood their reluctance to go up against a greater duchy.

“That certainly would be great,” I agreed. “But in that case, they would probably pass through Griebel instead of Illgner. There is no guarantee that the enemy will appear in our province, but let’s stay alert.”

"Indeed,” the commander nodded. “I plan to entrust the real fighting to the reinforcements from the noble’s district. Though, I would like them to hold back on using destructive magic tools if possible."

If our mountains and forests were destroyed, that would greatly impact the paper-making industry. So, avoiding battles that used large numbers of destructive magic tools was certainly preferable.

"Regardless of the enemy’s plans, if you are joining the fight, Lady Brigitte, that will make it easier for us to contact the Giebe. Not to mention, you are a mednoble and thus a valuable battle asset."

It was decided the patrols would focus on the area near the border with Ahrensbach. We were on good terms with Frenbeltag, and Lady Rozemyne had not included them in her warnings, so it was safe to assume we would not be invaded from that side. I accompanied the squads on their rounds, but nothing of note happened that day.

The next afternoon, I and five other knights were out patrolling the border on our highbeasts, when I noticed a change in the scenery.

"Don't you think the shape of that ridge looks different?" I asked as I pointed at the mountain ahead.

I wasn’t quite sure how to put it, but it seemed like an abnormal dip in a part of the tree line, or rather, like an unnatural dent in the gentle curves of the ridge.

"Let's have a closer look."

Sensing something was off, we cautiously approached. As we got closer, I quickly noticed almost all the trees on the opposite side of the mountain, next to Ahrensbach’s border, had disappeared. The bare, reddish-brown soil reminded me of the aftermath of a trombe attack.

“Just what on earth is going on!?” I exclaimed while squinting my eyes to get a better look. At the same moment, more trees disappeared up ahead. As I stared at the empty spot in a daze, unable to comprehend what just happened, two of the knights cried out.

"Look over there! I see people!"

"Those are Ahrensbach's capes!"

Several people could be seen standing atop the center of the reddish-brown soil. When I noticed they were all carrying black weapons, an audible gasp escaped my lips.

"Black weapons can be used to steal mana from dark feybeasts,” I said. “Maybe they can be used to steal mana from the land as well."

Since the archducal family had contacted us, we had mentally prepared ourselves for the possibility of an invasion. However, we had not seen this coming. We had not expected the enemy would try to steal mana from our land, rather than head straight for the foundation.

“If they were just trying to pass through Illgner, we could have watched from a distance,” I muttered in shock. “However, we cannot sit back and watch as mana is stolen from our land and the trees are disappearing before our very eyes.”

If they took our trees, that would greatly affect the paper-making industry. Moreover, most commoners relied on the blessings of the mountains for their meals. Not to mention, if it rained, the flow of the rivers could change as well. In the worst case, life in Illgner could be destroyed.

"I count four,” one of the knights said. “Shall we attack?"

"...no.” I shook my head. “Let's head back and request the Aub to send reinforcements. If there are any people hiding out of sight, we will be outnumbered."

Just then, arrows came flying at us. Our enemy was swiftly making way for the tree line while attacking us to keep us at a distance.

"They spotted us! We are under attack!"

"Kill them before they can hide! "

"Mana attacks will be absorbed by their black weapons!” I warned. “Be careful!"

Since the area was already devoid of trees and had turned a reddish-brown hue, there was no issue in using offensive magic tools. We flew overhead and dropped magic tools from above. Two of the intruders disarmed their black weapons and readied their shields.

"Once they disarm their weapons, it will take about a day before they can use the blessing again!” I shouted. “Attack with the intent to make them cancel it and use their shields!"

Without the darkness's blessing, they would not be able to steal mana from the land, at least for today. As everyone readied themselves to attack, a gasp escaped my throat when I detected numerous mana signatures approaching.

“There are more units nearby!” I alerted the others. “I can feel their mana! They are swiftly approaching us!”

The fact was, the unit before us already had the upper hand strength-wise. On top of that, they were about to regroup with other units nearby. It was abundantly clear we were at an overwhelming disadvantage. Try as we might, there was no chance of winning. In fact, we would likely lose our only chance to retreat.

"Don't pursue the enemy!” I shouted. “We shall retreat for now!"

While sending an ordonnanz to my brother to warn him, we returned to the summer mansion.

“Brother, Lady Rozemyne was right! The enemy is here! Not only are they draining the mana from our land, but we are also dealing with a large number of people spread out over a wide area. We cannot deal with it by ourselves. Please request the Aub to send reinforcements."

When I arrived at my brother's office with the commander, he and Victor were already waiting for us with a map of Illgner spread out on the table.

"I immediately sent the request after receiving your ordonnanz,” Helfried replied. “It seems Lord Bonifatius will lead the support unit. However, considering how much damage has been done in such a short period of time, I wonder if Illgner will last until reinforcements arrive. Brigitte, what is your opinion as a knight?”

In this case, simply scattering the enemy would not be enough. It was important that we limit the amount of damage to a level that would not interfere with the lives of Illgner’s people.

“The enemies we encountered were acting in small units, but I could sense mana everywhere around us. Even if we gathered all our knights, I cannot say for certain how long we would be able to stall for time. Neither can I predict how much damage will be done to the land until reinforcements arrive.”

If their sole purpose was to drain mana from the land, we could limit the number of human casualties by staying quiet and holing up. However, Illgner’s land would be devastated.

" ...those were nobles from old Werkestock."

"What?"

“I remember them from my time at the Royal Academy,” the commander explained. “The one they were protecting is a Giebe from old Werkestock.”

The frequency at which we found commoners from old Werkestock and Ahrensbach invade our mountains in search of food made it abundantly clear that their lands were lacking mana. However, I had never expected that a Giebe of all people would invade another duchy to steal mana.

“If this invasion is headed by a Giebe of a mana-deficient duchy, and has the support of Lady Georgine, they won’t give up easily,” I observed.

As a member of the Giebe’s family, I understood their desire to have enough mana to fertilize their land and feed their starving people very well. I could tell neither of us would back down.

“Both Old Werkestock and Ahrensbach are greater duchies, and we are greatly outnumbered,” the commander said. “It is only a matter of time before we are overrun. But even so, we have no choice but to stand our ground until Lord Bonifatius and the reinforcements arrive. That said, I would like to avoid casualties among the younger generations as much as possible.” He let out a deep sigh.

"Whatever will become of us if we cannot count on Illgner’s knights to protect the lives of the province’s people?” I asked, then added, “I will fight too."

"Brigitte, wait," Victor said, his face as white as a sheet. He shook his head in disbelief. "You are no longer a knight. You are a member of the Giebe’s family and Lilarose's mother. For your daughter’s sake, please do not rush into a battle that the commander himself deems reckless. Haven't you been away from training for a while due to giving birth and nursing our child? Right now, you are more vulnerable than the other knights."

I understood what Victor was trying to say. However, I did not agree with him.

"I am a member of the Giebe’s family and a knight,” I declared. “Isn't it natural that I go out and protect Illgner? If I back out, it will affect morale."

"But... " Victor tried.

"I won’t be in any more danger than the other knights,” I said. “Moreover, the reason I resigned as Lady Rozemyne’s guard knight and got married was to protect Illgner. I have no intention of backing down from the fight to protect it now."

Although I was no longer her guard knight and there was a long distance between Ehrenfest and Illgner, Lady Rozemyne still looked out for us. She continued to support our paper-making industry and had provided us with valuable information. Although I only served her for a short period of time, I was greatly indebted to her. More than anything, I wanted to be a knight who Lady Rozemyne would be proud of.

“Besides, if I can’t even protect Illgner here, I won’t be able to protect Lilarose either,” I stated. “Suppose I was to perish in this battle, Lilarose still has you, her father, my brother, and my mother to protect her. Illgner, on the other hand, has very few knights to protect its land. I will entrust our daughter to you. So, please let me go. "

Victor looked at my brother with a pained expression, but my brother shook his head.

“I'm sorry, Victor,” he said apologetically. “As a Giebe, I want as many knights as I can get. Besides, I cannot keep my sister away from battle because it might be dangerous, while at the same time demanding the other knights risk their lives on the battlefield. Brigitte, if you wish to fight to protect Illgner, I will respect that. ... although I pray you won’t do anything too reckless.”

Hearing my brother's words, Victor hung his head and sighed.

"As much as I hate it, you truly are a knight at heart. I understand your desire to protect Illgner and your pride as a knight. However, you are also Lilarose's mother. Don’t be reckless. Stay aware of your surroundings and retreat if necessary. We are just trying to buy time.”

Watching Victor concede to my desire, the commander smiled wryly.

"Lady Brigitte, please don't disregard everyone's concerns. The fewer the casualties, the better. As Lord Victor says, buying time is our top priority. If we can make them cancel the darkness blessing, that will be enough. Let's work together to get every last one of them."

While we were discussing how to make our enemies cancel the blessing and what magical tools might be useful, an ordonnanz flew in.

"This is Bonifatius. I have received the Aub’s permission to use the teleportation circle. I will arrive at fifth bell. Clear the area around the teleportation circle in the front yard of your estate, and have your knights ready to depart. We will head into battle as soon as I arrive."

After repeating the same message three times, the ordonnanz turned back into a yellow feystone. Even then, I still couldn't believe its message.

“Hold on, fifth Bell?” I asked confused. “He means today? And they will use a teleportation circle? To teleport a whole unit of knights?”

We had discovered the enemy when we set out on patrol after lunch. After we returned, we immediately reported to my brother, so we had yet to formally inform the other knights. Yet now we were told that the reinforcements would be arriving within less than a bell.

“Isn’t fifth bell about to ring!” Helfried shouted in panic. “Where is that teleportation circle!? What is the front yard!?”

"Please calm down, Lord Helfried,” Victor said. “The front yard is the front yard."

“Lady Brigitte, we should inform the knights!” The commander interjected. “At this rate, we won’t be ready to head into battle!”

My steadfast resolve was instantly blown away. First, we had to prepare Illgner to receive the reinforcements, and those of us who went on patrol needed to recover and prepare for the next battle.

As reported by the ordonnanz, right as fifth bell rang, a magic circle appeared in the front yard. Black and golden flames whirled around, and figures started appearing. I had been told that the magic circle connected to the Royal Academy could only transport three people at a time, but I could see the shadows of about fifty people in this teleportation circle.

Once the flickering of the flames subsided, the knights exited the teleportation circle in an orderly manner with Lord Bonifatius in the lead. However, a group of at least ten people remained in place. When he noticed the person standing at the center, my brother cried out in surprise.

“Aub Ehrenfest!?”

We had known that reinforcements would arrive by teleportation circle, but we had not expected the Aub would be accompanying them. As our eyes widened in surprise, Aub Ehrenfest calmly gestured us to calm down, “There is no need to panic. This teleportation circle can only be activated by me, so I had to come along to deliver the reinforcements. I will be returning at once."

"Aub Ehrenfest, I cannot thank you enough for your kind consideration. I didn't even know that there was a teleportation circle like this."

As my brother expressed his gratitude, the Aub nodded lightly.

"Neither did I,” he admitted. “Until Rozemyne mentioned its existence. This battle is the first time I am using it. She read about it in some old book it seems. I am sure you have heard she has been busy reviving ancient magic circles and rituals recorded in the bible and other old literature. That appears to have led to the discovery of this teleportation circle.”

“Lady Rozemyne… ” I whispered.

How could I ever express my gratitude? If not for Lady Rozemyne, this teleportation circle would likely never have been discovered and Lord Bonifatius probably would not have been able to reach us in time.

"Giebe Illgner,” the Aub continued. “These men here are just scholars I brought along to activate the teleportation circle. They aren’t part of the reinforcements."

Apparently, the people who remained standing on the teleportation circle were providing the mana necessary for the Aub to return.

“I cannot send any more people at the moment. So, Illgner is in your hands now.”

I decided to leave it to my brother to see the Aub off, and headed over to Lord Bonifatius, who was giving instructions to the knights.

"Those who assisted with the teleportation will stay here for now. Prioritize your recovery. The rest of you will follow me. Now, who is in charge on Illgner’s side? I want to know what we are dealing with."

"Lord Bonifatius, please allow me to explain,” I said. “We happened upon the enemy while we were out patrolling the border."

"Ah, Brigitte. It's been a while."

In truth, this would have been the job of the commander of Illgner’s knights, but he begged me to take his place, noting, “I'm much too nervous to talk to a member of the archducal family. Who knows what kind of mistakes I will make.” Since I had received special training from Lord Bonifatius as Lady Rozemyne’s guard knight, the idea of having a direct conversation with him did not bother me.

"I see,” Lord Bonifatius nodded. “Those black weapons certainly spell trouble. Not only can they drain mana from the land, but our mana attacks will also work to our opponent’s advantage. It would be better if we used metal weapons. Come to think of it, were they dressed in silver cloth?”

"No, as far as we know they aren’t,” I replied. “Since they can counter our mana attacks with their black weapons, there probably was no need to use silver cloth."

"Since the Aub has been unable to detect their crossing the border, I guess there is a high possibility they do own it though... " Lord Bonifatius mulled. After thinking it over for a moment, he nodded.

"It's not a bad idea to prioritize canceling the blessing. Moreover, it is likely that they are using small chalices too, I have been told. That way they can use the stolen mana to revitalize their land. All right, let's go."

Perhaps Lady Rozemyne had told him that too? I remembered the days when I accompanied Lady Rozemyne across the duchy to perform rituals. Small chalices were divine tools used to fill the land with mana, but it seems that in the hands of the wrong people, they could be used to steal mana from the land as well.

Lord Bonifatius set out, leaving behind the knights who were still drinking rejuvenation potions.

... yes, Illgner will be fine now.

The battle was only just beginning. Even so, the thought of having Lord Bonifatius with us was reassuring, and for some reason made me believe everything would be okay.

... first, I would like to recover the mana that was bestowed onto Illgner by my master and the temple.

“Lord Bonifatius, it’s over there. …it seems more land has been drained of mana.”

As I guided Lord Bonifatius towards the border, I couldn't help but feel frustrated seeing the barren spots of land.

"Can any of you feel the enemy's mana?" Lord Bonifatius asked.

" ...maybe if we fly a little lower," I suggested,

Mana could not be detected if the distance was too large. As I began to lower my altitude, I noticed some trees disappearing out of the corner of my eye.

“Over there!” I shouted.

"Follow me and seize the chalices!" Lord Bonifatius instructed the knights, then immediately sped up, charging the enemy alone.

I saw a schtappe appear in Lord Bonifatius’ hand while he was clearly anticipating the enemy’s route of escape. Even though he had ordered the knights to use non-schtappe weapons to counter the black ones, he changed his own into a halberd.

“Lord Bonifatius!?”

We could not help but cry out in surprise. While we still had no idea what he was aiming for, Lord Bonifatius raised his halberd in the air.

“Lord Bonifatius!?” One of the enemies shouted. “What is he doing here!?”

"Don't stop!” Another yelled. “Counter his mana with your black weapon!"

“Protect the Giebe!”

“Spread out and run!”

To the enemy, it must have been looking like he was attacking them head-on, as they started to scatter in confusion. That’s when Lord Bonifatius brought his halberd down.

"Hmph!"

His mana attack was not aimed directly at the enemy, but instead hit the tree line along their path of escape. Shredding the trees to pieces, causing roughly chopped logs and thick branches to rain down upon their heads.

"Holy shit!"

"Entwafn ... ugh!"

Their black weapons had no effect on the mana-less pieces of wood, nor did they have enough time to cancel the blessing and bring out their shield. Soon, the enemy was buried under a thick pile of logs and branches.

"Don't let them escape!" Lord Bonifatius ordered as we caught up to him.

From there, everything went fast. Most of the people buried under the trees were seriously injured, and even those with minor injuries were unable to make their escape, so they were easily captured.

"I found the chalices! We can return the mana to our land!"

After we stripped the captured Giebe of his possessions and seized the small chalices, joyous shouts of victory emerged from Illgner’s knights.

However, the battle did not end there. Last time, the enemies present in the surrounding area had rallied together to aid their friends. However, this time, they immediately scattered and ran away in fear of Lord Bonifatius’ might.

"We have told Frenbeltag to be on guard, so the enemies’ options for escape are limited,” Lord Bonifatius said. “They are not particularly strong, but if they spread out, it will be enough to prolong the battle. Creating a diversion to keep the knight’s order occupied must be their true aim. Not to mention, their number is smaller than expected.”

I noticed a bitter expression on his face as he spoke. The attack would not destroy Ilgner, but it was intense enough that Illgner’s knights could not deal with it alone. And since the land's mana was being drained, the archducal family had no choice but to respond.

Unfortunately, Lord Bonifatius had been completely right. The next day, the enemies that fled from Illgner started showing up in Griebel.

"Griebel has also requested reinforcements.” Lord Bonifatius announced. “So, we will head for Griebel while mopping up enemies along Illgner's border. Brigitte, you and your men will stay right here!"

"Yes, sir!" I replied.

It was decided that Illgner’s knights would remain camped near the border to prevent a new invasion. Lord Bonifatius promised he would leave some of his knights behind, but to be honest, it was disheartening to see him leave.

"Don't worry,” he said with a confident grin. “I'll give you a good view, so you can focus on protecting the border. If you are overwhelmed, inform me at once."

Lord Bonifatius and his knights unleashed powerful mana attacks on Ahrensbach’s land, mowing down the trees on the other side of the border bit by bit as they moved toward Griebel.

"I see. The view has become much better indeed."

"The enemy can no longer hide, but they may shamelessly attack from the sky. So, let's remain vigilant."

As Lord Bonifatius had said, their purpose was to keep the knights occupied, so the enemies showing up from time to time were not that strong.

"Lady Brigitte, I have something to report,” one of the knight apprentices said to me while we were between battles. “I wanted to inform the Giebe directly, but since a mobilization order was issued, I have instead come to you... It seems that a lumber merchant who traveled to Leisegang by boat to make a delivery noticed some strange noble-looking people trying to board a ship to Ehrenfest while he was there.”

As I listened to the rest of the apprentice’s report, I felt cold sweat start dripping down my back. It had been two days since the lumber merchant saw the people who appeared to be nobles. Even if it was a merchant ship that made stops along the way, there was a possibility that it had already arrived in Ehrenfest.

“I must contact Lady Rozemyne at once!”

However, the ordonnanz I tried to send her immediately turned around.

...don’t tell me Lady Rozemyne is…!

I held my breath as my mind jumped to the worst possible explanation. Ordonnanzes would refuse to fly if the receiver was dead. With trembling hands, I tried sending an ordonnanz to Cornelius and Angelica,

"This is Brigitte. What's the situation over there?”

To my despair, both returned to my hand.

“Then, what about Damuel…?”

Contrary to my fears, the ordonnanz I sent to him soared away as normal. And soon his response arrived.

“We are still waiting for the enemy to make a move.”

His voice sounded as nonchalant as ever, as if nothing was amiss.

I had been fighting for days on end and scared out of my mind at the prospect that Lady Rozemyne might have perished along with her guard knights. Hearing Damuel’s carefree voice made an indescribable anger well up inside me.

I was aware in the back of my mind that I was being irrational. However, if Ehrenfest wasn’t under attack, then why didn’t my ordonnanzes fly? The lack of rest between battles was probably to blame for my heightened emotional state, and in addition, I suppose part of me felt that I was allowed to be casual with him like we used to. So, the reply I sent was dripping with anger.

“Then why can’t I reach anyone by ordonnanz!? I have vital information to report! Where are Lady Rozemyne, Cornelius, and Angelica?”

After that, I included the report from the lumber merchant, and concluded with, “Since we are still under attack, we do not have the leeway to investigate when the ship will arrive. Please make the inquiries yourself and stay on guard.”

"We shall contact Leisegang,” Damuel replied. “Thank you for providing this valuable information in the midst of a tough battle. ... Oh , and Lady Rozemyne and the others are in Ahrensbach, so ordonnanzes won't be able to reach them."

Without even naming my unreasonable anger, Damuel casually told me Lady Rozemyne's whereabouts. I felt so embarrassed that I was the only one getting emotional that my anger slowly began to subside. Once I calmed down, I realized that even Lord Bonifatius had not mentioned the information Damuel had shared with me.

...Lady Rozemyne is in Ahrensbach?

I remembered the Aub had said that he couldn't send any more reinforcements. So, it made sense that even Lady Rozemyne was fighting to protect Ehrenfest.

...it sounds like she is still giving it her all.

I remembered the days she would fight alongside us to collect the materials for her jureve. Although a normal archduke candidate would leave it all to their guard knights, Lady Rozemyne joined the battles despite her frail body, and while falling asleep from exhaustion. Ever since then, Lady Rozemyne hadn't been just a little girl that needed to be protected.

...the people around her seem to have changed though.

Back then, it was me, Damuel, Lord Ferdinand, and his retainers fighting alongside her. Cornelius and Angelica, who were minors at the time, were made to stay behind at the castle. Now that they were adults, she would be taking new guard knights in. I left due to my marriage, and Lord Ferdinand and his retainers moved to Ahrensbach due to his engagement.

I suddenly felt the passage of time as I realized that not only the people surrounding Lady Rozemyne had changed, but my position as well. I was no longer protecting Lady Rozemyne, I was fighting for Illgner and my family now. Although, my desire to protect what was important to me had not changed. If Lady Rozemyne was fighting to protect Ehrenfest, then as her former guard knight, I could not afford to muck around. Through fighting and winning the battle at this border, I would be able to help Lady Rozemyne protect Ehrenfest.

“Lady Brigitte, we have spotted the enemy!”

I jumped to my feet at the sound of the knight's voice. The other knights also mounted their highbeasts, reeling with fighting spirit.

...Good luck to you, Lady Rozemyne. I will do all I can to protect Illgner.

#Ascendance of a Bookworm #P5V8 #Translation

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