Stunning Revelations

Lorelei pinched her nose as her elders were just as grim.

'Sooo our Aub knows that I'm responsible for our delicious food so before my time in the Academy, I'm obliged to train the family chefs there, in exchange that age-be-damned and attendance-be-damned, my research will be personally protected by him until the day I can officially publish it.' she mused.

'There's one problem with that.' said her grandfather with a frown. 'He is very weak to his mother who is the reason why nobles are formed into three factions and Ehrenfest endures all bullshit I've known for as long as your father is alive.' he sighed. 'Ever since that Gabriele woman forced her way into Ehrenfest, our duchy became the shitshow it is for three decades.'

Because as Neutrals, she and her brother are taught who to avoid in life, and hang out with fellow neutrals. Her family attends social gatherings. Siegbert began showing up in events after baptism and so did she, when not working to make things better. She made friends with neutrals among Laynobles because as a Laynoble, her social circle is veeery limited while Mednobles can socialize with Archnobles if affiliated through service.

'So in the end, his promise is lip service if his mom threw her weight around!' Lorelei moaned as her elders nodded grimly. 'And we have no choice as he's our Aub. As a researcher this is sacrilege to me as the schemers behind him can easily steal and claim my work!' yup, she's not happy. 'I need to find a way around this, somehow! I hope his chefs are neutral and don't give a rat's ass...'

'Little lady, language.'

'...so when is this job?' Lorelei ignored the scolding.

'A week from now, so pack appropriately.'

And so...

After being escorted to the Central District, the City of Ehrenfest, she presented a letter to the guards who allowed her entry, enabling her to enter the Noble Quarters as well as she showed the same to Gatekeeping Knights.

The houses in the Noble Quarters are all cookie-cutter mansions and gardens with enough room to house enough people. The Archnobles are notorious for having as many as sixty rooms. Commoner Servants aside, they also have to house retainers who are living with them. Laynobles easily have the least rooms. The entire clan aside so a total of at least 30 rooms for future generations incase of events, there's only ten rooms for servants, Butler who doubles as Valet, Station Chefs for Bread, Vegetables and Meat, five Housemaids who does Chamber, Parlor, Houseworks and Laundry, and Gardener.

Because there are families who have a history of being attendants to Archnobles of each clan living here. To prevent bullying and disparaging the less-powerful ones who can't afford to build lavish mansions, these designs came to be. But the ones living closest to the gates are obviously, the Laynobles while those living closer to the the Castle, are Archnobles.

It's in order of Mana of course. The hardcore neutrals do not live here. The people living here are from three factions...the Veronica, Leisegang and Florencia and supporting clans. The Neutrals have no room in here.

Due to this, she would stay in a Guest Room in the Archduke's Castle.

However, she is also going to see who is worth supporting as due to situation, her family is getting more pressure to choose a side as of late. Thus she will see who is worth supporting.

The Shirou in her and Archer in her are merging. Their point of views are merging as well. As a Noble, the future perspective will help her out. She cannot afford to be like her innocent, but broken past self here. She can only afford to be 'helpful Shirou' around her new family and those she cares for while in places she deems the battlefield, she will go EMIYA on them.

She was greeted by an elderly attendant. As she is a noble of higher status than her, Lorelei kneels down, crosses her arms on her chest and asks for permission to pray to the seasonal deity. In this case, it's Flutrane. Once this is done, she can now stand up. She got the elderly attendant's approval.

'Welcome to Ehrenfest Castle, Miss Wagner.' said the attendant. 'I am Richarda, Chief Attendant of the Archduke Family and will be the one to see to your tasks and needs.'

'I am grateful, Lady Richarda.' said Lorelei gratefully. 'I hope I know where I am and am not allowed at to avoid getting in trouble while I'm teaching the kitchen staff.'

'I heard about the food in your domain...Lord Sylvester speaks very highly of your culinary skills as your family is proud of your skill in the kitchen.' Richarda chuckled. 'Worry not, the kitchen staff are trustworthy. Lady Florencia handpicked them herself and they are Namesworn so they will only listen to her no matter the harassment.'

'Ah, all three sides live here?'

'Sadly yes.'

'We're also getting bullied to choose lately.' said Lorelei. 'Because of the purge two years before I was born, everyone wants more allies so us hardcore neutrals are getting quite the flak. My family's too traumatized by forty years ago so my family elders stayed neutral.' she said. 'So I'll be frank: we will choose the faction who will make Ehrenfest prosper and peaceful be it in politics, government and economics since the military is already well-handled by Lord Linkberg. Not make it into an even worser toilet slime than it is now. The damages are severe and affects 80% of our duchy compared to my grandfather's era before 'that person' forced their way in, so yes, we really rank way down below among all duchies out there and we know whose fault is that. If we choose the wrong faction, we're all dead.'

Richarda can only sigh.

'Sadly, too powerful.'

'Only too powerful because they were left alone too long, gained arrogance in turn that they overstepped and can afford the audacity when normally, the family head calls all the shots. Such is our reality. We will stake our life on the faction who will restore Ehrenfest to what it used to be...the glory days, before poison seeped in.'

xxx

Richarda checked her belongings for contraband as precaution so she can vouch for her future innocence incase she is framed. She also did a body-check, before she gave her a tour around the basement area where the kitchen and pantry is, and where her quarters are. And unless called, she is not to go beyond where she is allowed until end of her job, meaning, she taught the chefs everything she knew.

The chefs are handpicked to ensure they won't have secret allegiances and loyal solely only to Florencia Faction.

She would be paid 20 large gold for her work.

'20 large gold huh? That's going to take us miles as we are in dire need of clothing for our people. All of these will go to fabric and thread.' said Lorelei, happy with what Richarda told her.

'Your domain lacks clothes?' Richarda's eyebrows went up, appalled by the notion.

'Well, within two months in a year, there's so many growth spurts of children all around they can't leave home and work naked so for the time being, children and grandmothers will stay home while parents work.' Lorelei pointed out. 'None of any they own fit them now...even I only had to have my current five dresses and stockings because my closet is useless.' she said sheepishly. 'I'll keep growing and growing until my coming of age, thanks to my work and my cooking will definitely help young lady and little master...as long as no bastard poisons the food of course...'

xxx

In the Kitchens, were teams of Chefs. Bakers, Vegetable Chefs and Meat Chefs. There's also so much more ingredients but still no Soy Sauce and Rice, she has more room to work with. But with sugar, she can make more condiments and sauces.

After the complementary manners, she asked, 'How, just how many people live here that we got a large team?' Lorelei sweatdropped.

'Ahaha, 60% of us here are cooks for Ehrenfest Dormitory in the Royal Academy!' said a middle-aged man. 'The others are the actual cooks for the Archduke Family!'

'Ahhh is that so? I thought it's crazy to have a team so big.' she said, scratching her head. 'Well, let's start with good old bread! Can't live without them!'

'Lord Ehrenfest said you can make bread soft somehow though we've been eating it hard all our lives...' said a woman, astonished by the idea.

'Yes, he had three helpings. He liked it that much he overate and needed help after.' Lorelei chuckled. 'Well, as a future Scholar of Culinary Arts, I'll teach you all I know. For now as we're on a Time Crunch, we'll do the Basic Bread Roll because to make it in time I have to teach new recipes!'

xxx

Richarda entered when she got permission.

'Is she settling in?' Sylvester asked his old nanny.

'Yes. She also confided in me that the factions are pursuing aggressively even the staunchest of Neutrals due to the Purge and thus wants more allies. They are being harassed.' said Richarda. 'Her being here will also enable her to gather information for her family as a Scholar.' she said. 'Through her, the Wagner Family seeks a Faction who can restore our duchy to it's glory days before poison seeped in and as she put it, before our duchy became toilet slime it is now in our current situation.'

Sylvester and Florencia knows full well what the old granny implied.

The poison, being his grandmother and mother, and their flunkies. He can only grimace in pain as Florencia looked at him grimly.

No doubt it's them who's doing the harassing.

'Very well. I'll ask Elvira to do the courting. They're right up our alley.' he said.

The Wagner Family is growing its domain, developing going smoothly. They used to be quite poor even by Laynoble Standards. A Family of 10 large gold per annum that remained consistent since it's founding. But as of present date, it now became maximum of 130 gold per annum. Why? Because they've begun selling potions, and developed new products that are a great hit!

Their Potions can easily cost 1 small gold because it's an upgraded version of the Advanced Potion that not only restores mana and stamina, it also cures away mental fatigue, enabling a very exhausted fighter to think clearly again and be in a short period of calm. This is revolutionary for the military who are both drained, tired and unable to think clearly when walking with death in the field. This is invaluable to high-ranking Knights like his cousin.

They began farming herbs and brewing potions to sell to the Knight Order. And still clearing land to increase their farm size and income as Potions Sales can and will fluctuate. So they'll still sell food and new form of alcohol to the Merchant's Guild. Hence, their improved annual income. And they have now become slightly well-off. At least, before Siegbert graduates from the Academy, they aspire to be a Barony that earns 400 large gold so they can finally improve their home and living standards on par with Mednobles for Siegbert's future and afford a Mednoble Bride Price so he can marry a Mednoblewoman with pride.

Mednoble.

Lorelei is a Mednoble in strength. And who knows of her brother by the time he graduates. She ideally would have been heir to the household, but she cannot, as no high-ranking son will lower themselves willingly and their families will raise a stink. The family is heavily reliant on Lorelei to clear up more farmland. Lorelei clears up vast amounts of land every year and flattens it for farming. She also digs up wells and irrigational waterways and the rest is adult backbreaking work.

And Siegbert is their strongest son by far so they kept him. He has a promising future who will elevate their status come adulthood, once his mana capacity grew that far, and succeeded in marrying a mednoblewoman who is at least, 'a bit stronger' than him in less than 30%. Then he can legally elevate their social status to Mednoble upon having a child with mednoble-class mana.

The people in Lord Wagner's domain called Verlasein, a frontier land given to Laynobles and it's bordering Zausengas to the west under Klassenberg Management. It's a hard-to-develop land explaining their poverty by Noble Standards. Hey, they have to pay their people their salary in their various jobs because they get it back through taxes, OK? Then money flows in through their sales that money really does circulate.

A family of peasants tend to be very big, for the sake of money. There's 400 households in Verlasein, and 4 family members get working, even those who are Leherls and Lehanges. So many salaries to pay, then. And what's left over is hardly enough for a noble's dignity. Heck, when he paid a visit, the family's homewear is rather pale from too much wash-and-wear and starts to fray with threads. They save up their best outfits only on gatherings hence. The tablecloth is starting to yellow due to how old it is. The furniture...very, very old. Not even polished. A few more generations, it'll fall apart.

Super poor, but they have no choice. The family has many children in the Temple as priority was strongest children to support as nobles. And six children before the siblings, were in the temple. Raised by grandparents for seven years before made to go there than send them to the temple as babies where survival is so slim that it'd be kinder to kill them. The children only knows they're 'local civilians' with no clue of their noble heritage before they become Blue Priests after baptism.

But as Lord Wagner put it, their sole treasure was their granddaughter's gourmet revolution. They could eat well for the first time in generations. Lorelei is indeed, the only scholar in a family of Knights that has been loyal only to the country's well-being, but never to any noble ever since his grandmother started making waves. They used to be attendants for his family until his grandmother and mother happened that they laid their head low and subtly vanished, becoming neutral since for survival.

Not that he blames them though.

Ahhh, problem children as of late. The only thing to improve his mood is the food.

According to Lorelei's report to his former nanny, it's easy to teach the bakers and vegetable chefs. The part that needs patience is the Meat Chefs as Time Management is crucial if one wants juicy, tender and succulent meat dishes on time for meals, eh?

She teaches Meat Chefs when to cook particular meat dishes after breakfast was cooked, for the sake of juicy, succulent tenderness, and not 'feel like they're eating leather every darn time'. He's still a big fan of beef steak...daaaamn...and that sauce!

And it took her a month. A month with all her knowledge.

She got paid and gets to go home.

In the meantime, the new food began flowing into the Aub's household, and Sylvester rationed food out based on how well he liked the retainers at home. So even if they wanted more, they can't get more on his orders which he strictly reinforces.

He was petty that way.

xxx

Meanwhile...

'Wow! The food here is astonishingly delicious!' Main, the other Problem Child exclaimed as upon becoming a Priestess, she has meals in the temple. Her bowls absolutely had to be huge, due to how stunted she was as a Devouring Child. She did not look seven at all. She was a head shorter than her friend Lutz.

'...it's discovered by a girl two years older than you.' said Ferdinand. 'She is a noble child, an aspiring Scholar.'

'Heee...bread back home is as hard as a rock, black and crumbly. Here's it's fluffy...' Main happily poked her bread. But when Fran laid down the meat dish which she recognized... "This dish...isn't this Omurice?!" a dish she's missed since reincarnating here. She can't believe it!

She carefully opened it and it's got ground meat and diced vegetables inside with glistening orange-ish-brown sauce. "Aaah! I hoped too much! No rice in this world, let alone Soy Sauce, Miso and Tofu!"

'You'll have to eat a lot.' said Ferdinand as he too, had the same food. 'You are too tiny. And you're not allowed to leave until it's all gone.' this was for his future plans. He needs her height to go up, OK? 'And after you eat, do not forget your attendants.' because all else goes out the window in this kid's head. She's a handful.

But why did she looked stunned by the Fleilett dish?

'Uwah, I hope the other kids gets to eat these too...' said Main. 'They eat after blue priests huh?'

'Yes. They need permission from a Blue Priest to eat.' said Fran. 'Which is why be mindful every after mealtimes or your attendants will starve.' he said. 'Attendants serving Blue Priests are privileged, getting to eat meat while those not assigned only have bread and soup.'

'Right...how much are they allowed?'

'If for blue priests it's the amount you and master ate, ours is half of that.'

'Eh?!'

'It's already God's Grace as it is.' said Fran. 'We cannot have more unless our master feels generous...'

Thus with Main eating quite the lunch and eating her breakfast and dinner at home, Main never got taller that got Ferdinand worried. That he summoned the Chef into the second month of autumn...after Main pointed out that she recognized the dishes she sees in the temple, she didn't say a word until that viewing, leading both to suspect there's another like Main in the duchy.

After pleasantries...

Main wondered about the older girl who's clearly wealthy. She has a very feminine beauty to her with red hair and red eyes. Her hair is straight with a hime cut dressed into elegant loli!

'For the young priestess, I am Lorelei Tochter Wagner of House Verlesein.' Lorelei introduced herself.

'Pleasure to meet you, Lady Wagner. I am called Main.' Main greeted politely, arms crossed to her chest. 'Oh, soreto, kimi wa tenseijin desuka?' Lorelei did a double-take, wide-eyed.

'Anata...souka, ore wa hitori janee ka?' Lorelei looked thoughtful now. Ferdinand's eyes widened. They speak the same language!

When he looked into Main's memories with the magic tools, the language of their world was different too when she dropped the translations.

'Hai.' Main beamed.

'I see...you sought me out for the familiar things I spread into this world.' Lorelei chuckled as its the only possible reason. 'Until I did, I thought I was going to die...I have high pride in cooking gourmet meals and all of a sudden...' she shuddered. Main grimaced, sympathizing with her. 'I endured a childhood of gourmet suffering until I was seven years old, old enough to start doing some adult things like working! Until then, food was disgusting!'

'...you're a cook in your previous life?' Ferdinand asked Lorelei.

'I'm a cook skilled enough to work in first-class hotels for the wealthy according to my legal guardian who's rich, but I died at seventeen years old.' said Lorelei. 'To fulfill my adoptive father's dying wish with the help of my adoptive sister and to save my lover on that same night. Its a death I don't regret because she would be alright even if I'm gone.' she said softly. Main was stunned that Lorelei has a girlfriend. Then again, she spoke like a boy so...

...awkward.

It dawned on Main that this girl was once a BOY.

'So I accepted my new lot in life in this world while trying to improve food standards here.' she said. 'I just wonder how they explained my death to Fuji-nee though...' Lorelei shuddered.

'You're a boy huh...'

'Yup. Suddenly I'm in a female body...but I'm not bothered.' said Lorelei with a snort. 'Because Sakura invited me to her chambers and we dyed each other with our colors.' more like, they did it in her room at home...

Ferdinand went beet-red-embarrassed at the blatant admission.

'Uh what's that mean?' Main was clueless. 'Dye each other with your colors...?'

'Main...she basically said they slept together.' said Ferdinand with a pained expression. Had Ferdinand not known that Main was a 21 year old in a tiny body, he would have asked Lorelei to shut up. Main squawked.

Lorelei is not bothered that she was reincarnated as a girl this time because she's already seen too much of a girl's body if she and her girlfriend were intimate!

'And you're 17!' Main squeaked, flustered. 'That's too young to be intimate with others!'

'That's normal for kids my age you know? What kind of rock do you live under and we're from the same world and country?' Lorelei was baffled as Main was shocked and she was way older than her before death.

Ferdinand supposed Main wouldn't know, having locked herself in the library all her youth, that Lorelei was more worldly than she was in terms of social skills and cues, even if no doubt, Main had more knowledge than she did through books, but grossly lacked in social skills in turn.

'I've heard of other students in my school who slept around a lot until they got in deep trouble for it, but at least I'm a single person-target only.' Lorelei pouted defensively. 'Well, considering I died, I broke my promise to Sakura that I'd make her happy.' she sighed. 'But she's not alone. She still has her sister and a good friend. She'll find another guy eventually.'

'Sorry to hear that...' said Main softly.

'But Main-chan, are you OK with letting High Priest know about us?' Lorelei asked her worriedly.

'I trust him a lot.' Main reassured her. 'He has always been there ever since I became a priestess here.' Lorelei can see Main's sincerity as she vouched for Ferdinand.

'Heee...you a noble?'

'Nope. Commoner.'

'Her mana is very high.' said Ferdinand. 'She healed a land big enough for a town because by the time we got a Trombe report, it was already a monster in size. She's Archnoble class.' Lorelei choked at that as she gave Ferdinand a knowing look and he returned that look.

Main's future...is inevitable.

'Ah, so you went here to live long...as a Commoner, magic tools are too pricey.' Lorelei played the fool for now.

'Yeah...I managed to pay for my first one with my earnings somehow but I can't always buy every year...I'd be driven into a corner eventually so other than books, here I'd get to unload my excess mana off.'

'Speaking, I was called here to check on you.' said Lorelei. 'Given my inclinations in my future career, High Priest asked me to check on your condition since progress is kinda slow.' Main looked inquiringly at Ferdinand at this.

'High Priest...?'

'Lorelei's research was about Food and Medicine as an aspiring scholar.' said Ferdinand. 'She was the reason food became very delicious in Noble Quarters and in this temple. But due to mana present in nature, the food has a beneficial side effect of developing bodies. But since you began this summer, there's no change in you at all.'

'That's what I'm here for.' said Lorelei. 'Hand.' Main gave Lorelei her hand and she touched it with her left and put two fingers on her pulse, before saying, 'Korperten.'

To Ferdinand and Main's horror, the world beneath the clothes and skin became visible!

'Eek! Science Anatomy in here now?!'

'Yup.'

'This is...what's beneath our skin?' Ferdinand was shaken but hungered for knowledge now! But while he hungered for knowledge, he can instantly see what's wrong with his charge as he saw a familiar sight that usually spells trouble.

'Main, we found your problem.' said Lorelei grimly, ending her spell.

'What's my problem?' Main was nervous now.

'All living things have mana.' Lorelei began. 'Unlike plants, we humans who have magic and feybeasts turn into Feystones when we die. And for Commoners with the Devouring, they who have no access to Magic Tools for help, their mana crystallizes over time...starting with our mana-storing organ beneath our hearts.' she said, using the same spell on herself, just to point out where on her chest.

'Like blood vessels linking to our heart, there are also mana pathways linking to this magical organ as well. The two overlapping each other so both flow in same path which is reason why Commoners use their blood on anything magical. But mana-hardening also begins near this organ.'

Main choked in horror.

'You have hardened clumps that your mana can't flow properly...so even if we feed you well, as long as your mana and blood flow are blocked, nutrients will be slow to reach you and in turn, slow to develop your body. You'd need a Jureve Potion to get rid of the clumps.'

'There is one method I can do for you but you have to do it yourself because if I were to do it for you, I'd need a large amount of magic that not only will it wipe me out, it's benefits are minor but will still help you. But the scary thing is I'll get killed for another reason...dyeing your mana in my colors, something only married magical couples are allowed to do to each other.' she said.

'It is basically magical statutory rape that also makes you impossible to accept the mana of your husband and you can't ever have child forever as a result unless it's my family member who has similar mana to mine. But we are several miles weaker than you so that's a pipe dream too.'

Considering Main's future with strength like hers...yup, Lorelei will get killed.

NOW Ferdinand has another reason to be shocked for the second time that day. Main was horrified yet again.

'So...what is the method?' Ferdinand asked Lorelei.

'Please guide her carefully since she has archnoble-class magic...Main must master Reinforcement Magic, and focus on the flow of her mana every day. Main, you know what an ice shaver is, right?'

'You mean the kitchen tool for making kakigori?'

'Yup. As your mana flows, imagine the strongest shaver the market can buy made out of strongest metal you know and incorporate that trait on your mana through alteration. Then with mana flow, shave what you can every waking moment of your life, and convert the shavings into magical energy again. It'll take a while, but every little bit counts. This way, your blood flow will be better and smoother, and nutrition from food will reach your bones and organs faster. Not only that, you won't tire easily from low blood pressure any more.' Lorelei explained.

'And because this is magic where logic don't exist, your belief will power this method. Doubt will make magic effect weaker.' she used her spell on Main again, followed by another spell called 'Teilvergros.' that showed Main and Ferdinand her problem site, and a third spell called 'Auswert.' that showed where the weak parts of the hardening is and where it's tougher. The weaker clumps are closer to the blood, while the tougher ones are closer to her arterial walls.

The writing then showed:

END RESULT: ONLY THE WEAKEST CAN BE SHAVED OFF COMPLETELY.
THE MODERATE CLUMPS CAN ONLY BE SHAVED OFF BY 15%.

FURTHER NEEDS JUREVE INTERFERENCE.

'...understood.' Ferdinand frowned deeply. So there's a way, but with minor changes. It's inefficient, but it's all they have. But still, this is magic he hasn't known before. It's clearly Lorelei's own creation. She was formidable for her age.

'But at least my blood flow and stamina will improve...every little bit counts.' Main agreed with determination. 'Does the clumps spread?'

'Yes, every time a child gets a Devouring Attack, the clumps appear...starting from the organ...until it spreads throughout the body.' Lorelei told her. 'In worst case scenario, you can't breathe or eat. You also can't move. You die for those reasons, but it's a slow death that it's kinder to just euthanize you.' she deadpanned. 'A skilled swordsman can do that for you as there's no quick-death poison in books yet.' Main squeaked and rapidly shook her head at the notion.

'Lastly, once you managed to shave off what you can, reinforce the development and healing of your body. Blood flows as quickly as we blink. So reinforce your bones and organs except your heart to consume the nutrients faster, for you to grow and develop properly as a girl should, so that includes growth hormones and female hormones in our organs. That is all we can do for you until you get and brew Jureve.'

'That word is mentioned twice today...'

'You know Final Fantasy Games in Playstation right? It's popular among kids to even adults your age. It's basically Elixir. Heals you from everything except stupidity,' Main sweatdropped as Ferdinand snorted, '-while hibernating in suspended animation so you won't age, feel hungry, thirsty or need the washroom while you sleep your ailment off as the Jureve does its job. A magical must always carry one at all times incase of fatal emergency. You get the ingredients yourself as a rule.'

'Right...so Lorelei, before you go, we have one last thing to do.' said Ferdinand. Lorelei blinked.

'Something...?'

'Well, because I know way too much for a supposed seven year old, I had to get looked into so I had to prove I'm an innocent person by showing my memories.' said Main as Lorelei raised an eyebrow. 'He saw Tokyo in my mind...'

'...and nothing but library and books.' said Ferdinand dryly. 'I wanted to see more where you came from. Your world must have been amazing.'

'Ahahaha...'

Notes: Shirou/Lorelei's personal spells

Artikerten - portmanteau of 'appraise item' in German

Korperten - portmanteau of 'appraise body' in German

Teilvergros - portmanteau of 'magnify part' in German

Auswert - shortened German of 'auswertung' for 'analysis'

Vocabulary:

Frau - means 'wife' in German

Gemahl - from the word Gemahlin meaning 'consort' in German

Verlasein - portmanteau of Verlassene and Ein, meaning 'forsaken one' in German

Fleilett - portmanteau of 'meat' and 'omelet' in German, a term for not-quite-omurice