Ferdinand/Story

Ferdinand is the priest who assists Myne to register her citizenship during her baptism ceremony. They meet properly for the first time when Myne visits the temple to discuss her apprenticeship. He was assigned beforehand by the High Bishop to read the bible to her. Observing her quick learning speed and enthusiasm for reading, he remarks that teaching her would be worthwhile. During the discussion, the temple staff find out that Myne has the Devouring and bring the sacred chalice to test her mana capacity. After confirming that she possesses enough mana, Ferdinand asks her to bring her parents for a meeting.

When Myne’s parents arrive for the meeting, Ferdinand stays silent when the High Bishop tries to pressure them into sending their daughter to the temple as a gray shrine maiden. He believes the High Bishop’s methods, while deplorable, are the most efficient option. However, he later regrets his inaction when Myne loses her temper and nearly kills the High Bishop with her mana. Ferdinand intervenes at the last moment, convincing her to stop before her family become complicit in her crime. They move to his chambers to begin a proper discussion, and he eventually accepts all of Myne's conditions for joining the temple.

Before Myne formally enters the temple, Ferdinand instructs Eckhart and Justus to gather information about her in the lower city. When their attempts to question the local commoners meet with little success, they break into the Merchant’s Guild to check her official documents. They later report their findings to Ferdinand, who is satisfied that Myne is not a threat.

On Myne’s first day as an apprentice blue shrine maiden, Ferdinand assigns her one of his own retainers, Fran, to help her learn to navigate temple life. When he informs the High Bishop Bezewanst, Bezewanst decides to assign his own apprentice gray shrine maiden, Delia, to serve Myne as well. Because they’re around the same age, intends for her to befriend Myne and gather information. He also orders that the orphanage’s “biggest troublemaker” be assigned to Myne, and Gil is nominated for the position. Ferdinand introduces the three attendants to Myne after her inauguration as a shrine maiden.

Later, Myne informs Ferdinand that the Gilberta Company will bring her donation to the temple. When he meets with Benno and Mark, he inquires about Myne’s background and character, and asks for clarification on the rumors that she is Benno’s "Goddess of Water.” The merchants also give him introductory gifts, of which he finds plant paper the most impressive.

Shortly after Myne begins living at the temple, Ferdinand orders her to stay in the repentance chamber as punishment. To his shock and dismay, she collapses due to having skipped lunch and later comes down with a fever. Later, he mediates in Lutz’s family dispute and proposed adoption, with the result that Lutz chooses to stay with his family. Ferdinand expresses relief that the family was able to resolve their differences and stay together.

As Myne's guardian in the temple, Ferdinand assigns her duties and manages her education. He advises her plans for the orphanage, assigns her the orphanage director's room, appoints to the position of the orphanage director, provides her with harspiel lessons, and has her assist him with managing the temple’s financial accounts. Over time, he becomes suspicious of Myne's unusual behavior and the knowledge she displays.

When autumn arrives, Ferdinand and Myne are summoned by the Knight's Order to assist with a trombe extermination. While Ferdinand will serve as a knight, Myne is responsible for filling the land with mana after the battle to allow plants to grow again.

After meeting the Knight's Order in front of the Noble's Gate, Ferdinand introduces Myne to Karstedt, the commander of the Knight’s order. He carries Myne on his highbeast, a winged lion, as the travel to the extermination site. Once they arrive, he leaves her in a safe location and asks Karstedt to assign two knights to serve as her guards; Karstedt chooses Damuel and Shikikoza.

Ferdinand fights the trombe using a bow blessed by the God of Darkness. Damuel says that his ability to divide his arrows into many attacks at once is evidence of his high mana capacity, and adds wistfully that he wishes Ferdinand would return to the Knight’s Order. During the battle, Shikikoza begins threatening Myne with a blade, and inadvertently cuts her when she reached out to call for help. Her blood drips onto the earth, and she becomes trapped in a second fast-growing trombe.

Furious, Ferdinand rushes to intervene. He calls the Knight’s Order, then uses his schtappe to close her wound. Because he has to release the blessing to heal her, he has to wait for the Knight's Order to arrive and save her. Once she is safe, he expresses his anger to Damuel, who failed to protect her, and Shikikoza, who caused her harm. As the highest-status noble present, he reminds them that his orders should take absolute precedence.

Once both trombes are exterminated, Ferdinand gives Myne a mana recovery potion. He orders Shikikoza to attempt the restoration ritual, planning to make an example of him; as expected, Shikikoza is unable to heal more than a small area of the land. When Myne makes the next attempt, her remarkable mana capacity suprises all of the nobles present, including Ferdinand. Concerned that she will be targeted by other nobles as a result of the demonstration, Ferdinand announces that she is under his custody and protection.

When they return to the temple, Ferdinand apologizes to Myne for allowing her to be put in danger, and says that he never imagined the knights would disobey his orders.

Myne is bedridden for several days after she returns to the temple. While she recovers, Ferdinand requests permission from Aub Ehrenfest to use a memory-viewing magic tool to determine that Myne is not a threat to the duchy.

When Myne is well again, Ferdinand calls her to his hidden room where he gives her a mana synchronization potion, which she says has a sweet taste. When she puts on the circlet, she falls asleep and he prepares to view her memories. Although Ferdinand thinks regretfully that she will never forgive him for invading of privacy, Myne understands his reasoning and is happy to be able to explore her old memories from Earth.

She shows him various scenes from her life in Japan, including libraries, bookstores, craft shops, her old school, and her family home. Eventually, she is overwhelmed by nostalgia and her regret at not appreciating her family’s love in her first life. Because their emotions are linked, Ferdinand is overwhelmed and he breaks their mental connection. When Myne awakes, she sees his distress and gives him a hug to calm him down. After initially trying to push her away, he gives in and accepts the hug.

Later, Ferdinand returns the magic tool to Karstedt and reports that Myne is not a threat. He explains that, unbelievable as it sounds, she has memories of life in another world and can bring great prosperity to Ehrenfest. He also says that Myne will need to be adopted by a noble to ensure her safety as an adult. As a priest, Ferdinand cannot adopt her himself, but he Karstedt to adopt her as a favor to him.

Karstedt agrees, although he warns that someone else will probably be displeased that Ferdinand didn’t go to him for help first. He also reflects that Ferdinand, who is usually slow to trust others, seems surprisingly fond of Myne.

Benno suspects that Myne may be in danger from Wolf, a senior member of the Ink Guild. He alerts Ferdinand, who decides to bring Myne to stay at the temple sooner than originally planned.

While she is staying at the temple, Ferdinand explains that he plans for her to be adopted by Karstedt for her own safety. However, Myne refuses. Her shock and panic cause her to lose control of her mana, so Ferdinand brings her to his hidden room and tries to calm her down. She eventually asks for a hug, and is soothed somewhat when he obliges. She explains that she is frightened of losing her family, and Ferdinand eventually agrees to let her postpone the adoption. However, he warns that she must be adopted by age ten, which is the age when noble children go to the Royal Academy.

When winter arrives, the dedication ritual is held in the temple. Ferdinand and Myne dedicate their mana together as they have a balanced amount of mana, but he warns her to do a poor job and undersell her abilities to the High Bishop. However, the High Bishop unexpectedly demands that she fill extra chalices and she is forced to demonstrate the true capacity of her mana. Ferdinand later complains about the extra chalices to Aub Ehrenfest, who assures him that it won’t hapen again.

During Myne’s extended stay in the temple, Ferdinand summons her parents to discuss the adoption and plans for her future. He explains that he is worried for her safety, and Effa is convinced by his his explanation and gives her consent.

When spring arrives, Ferdinand and Myne are required to travel the duchy and bless the land for Spring Prayer. The archduke of Ehrenfest and Ferdinand’s half-brother Sylvester plans to accompany them in the disguise of a blue priest, intending to gauge Myne’s character and seek evidence of criminal activity from Veronica and Bezewanst.

Ferdinand is exasperated by Sylvester’s antics, as he continually pesters Myne and demands to explore the temple and the orphanage. However, Ferdinand eventually accompanies him on the tour and finds it interesting; he listens attentively to Gil and Myne’s explanations. At the end of the tour Sylvester is convinced of Myne’s character and plans to adopt her; however, he does not inform Ferdinand.

When Count Bindewald attempts to kidnap Myne, Ferdinand intervenes at the very end capturing Bezewanst and severely injuring Count Bindewald. He is the one to write the two contracts severing Myne from her family and changing her name to Rozemyne.

Ferdinand keeps regular tabs on Rozemyne as she trains in the Noble's Quarter and continues to strictly train her in the temple when she returns. After being bullied into performing a harspiel concert, he adds magic training to the schedule as well. Ferdinand uses every opportunity to grow Rozemyne as a noble.

<Ferdinand