Wilfried hate train ended up being all for nothing in the end. His “evil plots” included “Make Rozemyne the Aub instead of me” and “I do not want to marry her”.
Good to see the two getting along again. :)
I’m really relieved. It was like watching a train crash in slow motion but I couldn’t end up hating Wilfried. I’m glad I’m the end, his own sincerity at least has never changed, despite Oswald and Barthold’s best efforts. I wont entirely forgive him for turning on Lampretch just yet, but from here on I do hope he takes a more minor role in the story and becomes a good kid once again
Same here. I was annoyed to say the least about some of his actions, but it always seemed like he was a good boy, whenever he was making his own decisions and only messing things up royally, when he listened to his retainers (or his grandmother in the biggest screw-up of them all), making me not outright hate him at any point (but hating Veronica, Oswald and his crew all the more). Now we learn that even that wasn’t entirely the case, and that he had a reason to play along with those infected by Veronica’s poison.
That moment of them holding hands to be siblings again was heartwarming. Just what I needed after the drama of the previous book and the emotional meltdown.
Also props to Wilfried for keeping it bottled up until the main meeting was over, as Sylvester rightfully praised him for.
I never really thought about it before, but the moment when Wilfried had the “What… I want?” moment made something finally click: Ever since his birth, Wilfried only ever lived out what others had planned for him. This is the first time in his life, when he is allowed to pick his own path.
He was caught and torn between what other people wanted of him, apparently not even noticing that he was only working and struggling to meet other people’s goals for him, without even knowing what he himself wanted.
This makes his constant flip-flipping between good and bad, obedient and rebellious a whole lot more understandable and also why he is so easily influenced by others.
Yea, it really puts things into perspective. I’m not sure it does much to improve my opinion of Wilfred, but it certainly provides more context.
This will be his moment to step up and choose what he wants for himself. I’m curious to see what will become of him, hopefully he’ll become a bit less insufferable with this change.
Ok the insert is super interesting, It makes me exited what Rozmyne will make in this volume.
I love the complex web of political and personal struggles in AoB. It makes my heart ache. The rozmyne ability to read others emotions never ceases to amaze me.
Wilfred got his freedom that he desperately wanted. But freedom to succeed is also freedom to fail.
I think I owe Wilfried an apology. His active goal has been to sabotage their engagement and loose his spot for the Aubship. All of his recent self destructive behavior suddenly looks productive.
Having said that, I wonder if Rozemyne will give her retainer’s another talk about loyalty. During the Trugote incident, Rozemyne dug into Hartmut for hiding things from her and acting behind her back. Now, she learns that basically all of her retainers were doing the same thing.
Still, a good reminder to her that she cannot always trust even her most loyal retainers.
Of course, Rozemyne is still sitting their thinking the problem with her Aubship is her past as a commoner, not her complete unsuitability to be in charge of anything important.
Rozemyne would surely rather spend time with her blood mother than her adoptive one.
This comment hit me hard. It’s probably a good thing Rozemyne was not around to hear it. Especially because she can’t even get visibly angry about it.
they were only daring to act in the first place because, without their aubs, their medals could not be used to distribute proper punishment.
Remember back when the Hasse executions happened. The J-Novel forums had pages of discussion about the mechanics of how it worked and would be applied to nobility. Now, books later, we have our answer in a throw away line. Conservation of pointless lore questions demands that new pendanticness takes its place: The execution magic is somehow tied to a specific aub, not merely knowledge learned in the AC lessons. Since Ferdinand was able to do it, it is clearly not specifically the aub. Maybe anyone registered with the foundation? For this to make sense, it would also mean that they have been unable to locate the foundations of the deposed duchies, as it should be possible to dye them and become aub, even without the G-book.
Were we not in our current predicament, she would not have shown so much resistence … yet she had no choice
So, not even Florencia thinks that Rozemyne wants to stay in Ehrenfest. Rozemyne, who had to be pulled kicking and screaming out of the temple.
you can just tell that she’s fundamentally different form the rest of us. I’m told she prioritized the things she wants to do and puts off whatever doesn’t interest her.
Gee, doesn’t this sound a lot the young Sylvestor we have heard about. Also, quite like the current Sylvestor, although less so now that he does not have Ferdinand to shove work onto.
She [Dedlinde] was no longer the only known Zent candidate
Thankfully, the Royal family only considers one of the Zent candidates to be credible, so no risk of a succession crisis.
I’d say I did a much better job as aub that last year, when Ferdinand met with the king behind my back and agreed to leave without securing Ehrenfest anything of value.
What do you mean you did better. As far as you are concerned, the exact same thing happened this year. Rozemyne met with royalty behind you back, and you agreed and you just accepted what she agreed to (minus what any reasonable person would assume was her sacrificial demand).
They weren’t my requests, they were hers.
You’re happy to take credit for the negotiations when it is a benefit to you. But as soon as someone objects, you point the finger at Rozemyne.
What do you mean? Rozemyne even said it herself: She didn’t actually negotiate, she just made some suggestions, while leaving the actual negotiating to Aub Ehrenfest. :P
But joking aside, he could technically have caved in the negotiations and allowed more of Rozemyne’s terms to slip away, so I’m willing to let him have at least some credit for hanging on to all of them, except the bookroom. Though the main credit should definitely go to Rozemyne for laying the necessary ground-work for this to happen in the first place.
The execution magic is somehow tied to a specific aub, not merely knowledge learned in the AC lessons.
Isn’t it also possible that the access to the medals is restricted to the Aub? You can only enter the room where the medals are being held with permission from the Aub who holds the foundation? It is one of the two (access to medals or the spell working) but I don’t think we know which one.
What do you mean you did better.
Rozemyne remembered to tell that she had no power to make decisions. She “only” made Ehrenfest’s desires known, it was up to Sylvester to negotiate on them, so I would give Sylvester credit here too. Most of their demands that got accepted were also Sylvester and Florencia’s ideas.
Of course Barthold is the one keeping Oswald in the loop. This guy.
Flo bringing up embroidery again? These noblewomen…can’t they see Roz is busy with a bunch of other important stuff? Though it’d be funny if later in the story Sigi mocks Roz for not being able to embroider, and that’s when she finally snaps and crushes him.
Flo gets some flak for not properly educating Roz, but here we see that she wanted to, but it was de-prioritized in favor of Roz’s other endeavors. Also reiterating her misunderstanding about Elvira going to the temple…I wonder if that will become a plot point.
Sylvester going to Ahrensbach alone makes me apprehensive. Also this talk of “if I die first Boni’s here.” Maybe you should stay home and let Ferdinand cover for you.
Wilfried…semi-redeemed? He wasn’t really scheming or up to no good, just dissatisfied with his situation. Seems like he’s still a good kid at heart.
There is one caveat to Florencia’s failed attempts to educate Rozemyne though: She laments that she couldn’t invite Rozemyne due to her being so rarely at the castle… but does that really matter? Between Ordonnanzes they can communicate at any time and with her highbeast, Rozemyne can hop between the temple and castle in a manner of minutes, so her being at the temple should not be a hurdle to inviding her for dinner or the occasional tea party.
Even when prioritizing Rozemyne’s temple work, surely there would have been time to meet once a week or something.
I feel like Florencia is a bit too stuck in the traditional noble thiking and a bit slow and inflexible in her adaptation to the new situation.
I don’t think Sylvester is in danger at the funeral. Getting him there, would be far too obvious and risky for Georgine.
Not to mention she doesn’t just want to kill him, but also take over Ehrenfest. Assassinating him, while he’s in Ahrensbach or in transit to or from the funeral, would likely put her further away from ever gaining Ehrenfest’s foundation, since it would put Bonifatius in charge and give him very good reasons to take steps against any possible incursion… like moving the entrance of the foundation for example, which would completely foil any chance Georgine has to rule Ehrenfest in her lifetime. If she’s going to strike, it will only be when she’s in a position to also take the Foundation at the same time as she gets rid of Sylvester. I doubt even she is able to put in replacements for the groundwork that the purge smashes in such short order.
I fully expect her to try to undermine Sylvester’s position and further ruin his reputation in front of everyone attending the funeral in any and all ways she can, but I don’t think his life is in any immediate danger.
To be fair to Florencia, embroidery is one of the ways noblewomen defend themselves. They embroider their husband’s capes true, but also their own. We know Roz just brews charms for herself and her loved ones if needed but that’s a Ferdinand approach, a typical noble women would embroider magic circles, so it is quite important.
Tbh after the archive I doubt he as any expectations from her aside gbook, mana, and temple stuff after getting burned on the coals.
Side note aren’t first wives manly responsible for embroidery?
If I had to take a guess, I’d say it’s the first wife’s place to embroider the husband’s cape, and with how mana mixing works, I doubt they’d make it a team effort. But I’m sure there are other things than the cape, that the other wives can work on. Also you never know when the first wife might suffer an unfotunate, untimely death… or find a way to make the divorce she’s so desperately praying for happen, so it can’t hurt to have the necessary skills of a first wife, just in case.
