Adolphine shot to the top of the rankings with one line, Eglantine salvaged herself for the most part by taking one for the team, and Annie's only mistake was not stopping his brother from revealing the depths of his idiocy and thereby incurring divine wrath (which was almost a service).

Siggy is Siggy.

King T was almost even due to both large gains and losses, but he ended by being a stubborn fool. Still only a little negative though.

Hildebrand just can't read a room to save his life. Almost literally.

Magdalena opposed not only the clear reality of the situation, but her husband's own wishes to relinquish power despite that being key to her protests. Not her finest moment.

Technically a "What If" but...

Before the P5V11 Royal Family meeting

Ferdinand: So you understand the plan? We'll lead Sigiswald to get the Tool and lead the way.

Rozemyne: ...How...well do you know him?

Ferdinand: I spoke with him briefly during Giselfried's funeral. He seemed a tad foolish, but now that we know Raublat was manipulating him he should be fine now and recognize his place.

Rozemyne: Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah, since I was engaged to him I had to engage with him quite a bit, even negotiate one on one. He's very proud, a bit dim, and doesn't strike me as even a quarter as capable as Anastasius. So we may want to prepare a script in case he angers you and/or I and we can push for either Traerqual, Anastasius, or Eglantine to take the throne. Specifically if we realize it is a bad idea.

Ferdinand: ...Fine.

After Sigiswald interrupts at bad points and tries to lay the blame for everything that happened on Ferdinand's shoulders

Sigiswald: So I get the right to rule in return for pinkyswearing? Sweet!

Ferdinand: ...and to ensure you do it on time you will be forced to sign a contract with the Gods.

Sigiswald: ...Sure!

Ferdinand: ...You are to wear these clown shoes and refer to yourself as Pippi Longstocking.

Sigiswald: ...The Gods really willed it? Hm, this deal is getting worse all the time.

Rozemyne: No, Ferdinand just said Mary was too short and thus a commoner name and he has no idea who Longstocking is. Still, if he says yes...

Ferdinand: And you have to drive a unicycle while doing the Dedication Whirl.

Sigiswald: Of course!

Ferdinand: ...Fine. Now give Rozemyne her name so she doesn't crush you with her mana-

Sigiswald: WHAT?!? NO! THE NEXT ROYAL WILL NOT BE YOUR-

Traerqual: SIT DOWN YOU ARROGANT FUCK.

Ferdinand: Ah, thank you King Traerqual. Would you take the Tool? You won't have to-

Traerqual: I believe only one who can get the Book on their own can call oneself Pippi Longstocking.

Rozemyne: Uh hold on-

Eglantine: I volunteer to be the new Pippi Longstocking.

One transference ceremony later

Ferdinand: I know we were joking but she truly has an artist's soul.

Rozemyne: I kind of hate how well she pulls off the hair.

Eggy gets the Book for real

Eglantine: So the unicycle thing...

Erwaermen: I can't tell if she was trying to ensure Sigis wouldn't be able to get the Book by embarassing him but failed or if she wanted to mock the new "Zent" or Us. Still, you may want to speak with Myne and Quinta before the next Transference Ceremony.

@learn_japanese_ay Just like Rozemyne's personality seems like a good fit to be Mestionara's avatar (obsession with knowledge), Ferdinand's personality is also a good fit to be Erwaermen. Both in how cranky and ruthless they both are but also in their loyalty to Mestionara/Rozemyne, respectively.
Ferdi may convince himself he views Rozemyne as a mere tool -he often treats her as if she were- but in the end, he's the one who cares most about her in the world, allows her to influence him in ways no one else can and will go to great personal suffering to ensure her safety (even going against his own principles, repeatedly).

The God of Life role is absolutely perfect for him!

@Kier thank you for clearing up my misunderstanding! I tried to glean the convention from earlier books, but was unsuccessful. I'll keep this in mind going forward.

Also, thanks to you and team for being so responsive. It's really rather wonderful.

@Geezer-Weasalopes
NGK: Who's Bonifatius?
NSNGK: ....Oh, right, you're new. Alright, Lord Eckhart vouches for her.
NGK: Aren't they betrothed? Wouldn't that color Lord Eckhart's opinion?
NSNGK: Oh for the love of-alright, I dare you to challenge Lady Angelica to a practice duel, offering her her pick of a fey ingredient if she wins.
NGK: ...Okay, that sounds almost like I'm trying to court her, but sure.
And this was how the rule that Angelica cannot ask for ingredients costing more than one small gold came about.

@dragon3010 said in mynes relationship with her retainers:

@henshaw33 Florencia seems fairly close with her scholar, adolphine's attendant that she brought with her is fairly close with her enough to know she hates every moment of being married. Lisetta was close with her head attendant before she died.

Don't think we get many other attendants and Ferdinands don't count due to being namesworn and weird by noble standards.

Lisetta? Do you perhaps mean Letizia? In general we've heard that head attendants are considered second parents of sorts.

I don't think Rozemyne has been particularly distant overall, especially considering how many secrets she's keeping from most/all of them (Urano memories, commoner birth, until late P5V5 her Zentquest knowledge, until P5V8 her correspondence with Ferdinand, the ink used for it, Ferdinand's Zent Candidate status). If her commoner past were to be known and accepted more widely, I would imagine she could be a lot more open with them.

Now we get a few bits from Fanbook 4:

(mostly) Liz's Liz's Apprentice Selection. This involves at least two characters that are dead by the start of the series (Liz and Benno's Father), meaning it should go before Urano awakens in the first chapter. The only real question is, whether it goes before or after Urano's P1V1 Prologue. Thoughts, anyone? Judithe's Mana-Sensing and Marriage Partners. This is set at some point during the term preceeding Wilfried's visit to Leisegang. Rozemyne is also back in Ehrenfest during the chapter. This places it between Going Home in P4V6, and The Ternisbefallen Inquiry in P4V7. Looking at where we've currently got side stories inserted and how closely the chapters flow into one another, I think there's two good places to put it - either after Dinner and a Tea Party (which actually ends with Rozemyne reading the fictionalised version of the Damuel/Brigitte romance), or after Investigating the Bible (there's a mild timeskip between that chapter and Winter Life in the Temple while she reads the Dunkelfelger Book). (more-or-less) Gustav's Business Trips are Tough. This is set just before the final scene of Making a Monastery, so would fit between that and How to Gather Donations.

@Kathleen-macdougall Some guy in Dorne: You wouldn’t happen to have a Winter circle on you, would you?

Ferdinand: In retrospect this would have been VERY useful in driving the Dunkers insane…

@Outinthegardener We know that Hartmut didn't trust some of the nobles that might still be meandering around the Ahrensbach archducal castle, but that distrust could be as much from basic principle as a Yurgenschmidt noble as him having actual indications to suspect a plot. Assume the worst of your political rivals is pretty much a given in that world.

I can't helpnbut think of Xan from Baldur's Gate 1 when I read king Tranqueral dialogue.

https://youtu.be/o8H5n9qLlMI?si=cP8G7Q06RdKBoDch

The Royal Family is all doomed.