City of Ehrenfest

Ehrenfest (エーレンフェスト Ērenfesuto) is the capital of the duchy of the same name and it is the medieval city where Ascendance of a Bookworm initially takes place. It's ruled by nobles with magical powers and has a rigid class system. Buildings created by the Archduke or a member of his family with magic are all coloured in a shade of white.

The city originally consisted of only the area now known as the Noble's Quarter. When the first Aub of Ehrenfest dethroned the previous lord 200 years ago, the city was expanded to include the lower city as a show of power and wealth of the new lord.

Prior to the expansion of the city, the temple was originally an inn that served as a front gate while travelers were investigated. The gate that once led to the old city is now called the Noble's Gate.

The lower city is the southern half of Ehrenfest, separated from the northern half by the temple. The lower city is the location of the homes and businesses of the commoners; the level of quality of the buildings ranges from “rundown shack” to “grand manor”.

The lower city section of Ehrenfest does not have a school; instead, children receive an education in a particular career through a business apprenticeship following their baptism.


 * Myne's House
 * Lutz's House
 * Gilberta Company
 * Othmar Company
 * Myne Workshop
 * Merchant's Guild
 * Italian Restaurant

The Noble's Quarter is located in the northern half of the city, separated from the commoners southern half by the temple. The Noble's Quarter is an opulent suburb, with all residential buildings being large mansions most having a big garden.

Like the lower city, the Noble's Quarter doesn't have a school. Tutors are called in to teach the children until they reach the age of ten. In winter they gather in the children's room. At the age of ten, children are sent to the Royal Academy each winter until graduation. A noble is only considered a true noble if they attend and graduate from the Royal Academy. This school teaches nobles magic related things and prepare them for social gatherings.

The Knight's Order is a battalion of knights who serve as the primary defense force of Ehrenfest. The Knight's Order is made up entirely of adult nobles who can wield magic. Knights live in the knights' barracks.

Karstedt is the current commander of the Knight's Order.

The temple is the primary place of worship of the gods. It sits directly on the border between the lower city and the Noble's Quarter.

The bible is kept there and read during each of the different ceremonies which happen each season.

Many religious ceremonies are held at the temple for the commoners of the city.

The priests within the temple mainly fall into two groups: nobles, and orphans who had nowhere else to go. They are identified by the color of their robes; blue for nobles and gray for orphans.

Within the temple, there is a hierarchy of command, from highest to lowest, the hierarchy goes:


 * The High Bishop
 * The Head Priest
 * Blue priests
 * Apprentice blue priests
 * Gray priests
 * Apprentice gray priests
 * Unbaptized orphans

Blue priests hold high authority within the temple and are the ones who conduct religious ceremonies. Gray priests, however, do manual labor around the temple and work as attendants of the blue priests.

The caste system also plays a part in how food is distributed. Blue priests eat first, then their attendants get their leftovers, the orphans get the leftovers from that which are distributed equally in the orphanage as divine gifts.

The Archduke's castle lies beyond another wall separating it from the Noble's Quarter. It looks around three to four stories high from the outside and has much land surrounding it. On the land are several facilities for tutors and forest rangers to live in, for training grounds for the Knight's Order, barracks and gardens for tea parties. The Archduke's family lives in the castle with their attendants. It has an entry on the northern side for private visitors and the Archduke's family themselves, and an entry on the southern side for workers.

Second and third wives live in the western building. When children of the archduke finish their baptism, they move from the main building to the northern building. The northern building is a separate building connected through a hallway leading to the main building on the second floor. Boys lived on the second floor until adulthood and girls on the third floor until they get married. Girls had to pass through the second floor to reach the main building.

As the castle is big, there are many corridors and stairs which won't lead one directly to their destination. For that reason, Rozemyne is permitted to use her highbeast Lessy inside the castle so that she won't faint or would have to be carried all the time.


 * Suzuka has noted that the north side of the lower city would look like Rothenburg, Germany in the Manga Part 2 Volume 1 afterword.
 * Rozemyne's room in the castle is located directly by the stairs. It looks like her room in Karstedt's estate.