Hartmut/Story

Hartmut introduces himself to Rozemyne in the winter playroom following her winter debut. However, she is overwhelmed by trying to remember the names and families of all the children present and seems to pay him no particular notice.

After arriving at the Royal Academy, Rozemyne chooses her retainers from a list of pre-vetted candidates. Rihyarda recommends Ottilie’s son Hartmut as a good candidate for her head scholar, to which she agrees.

Later, Rozemyne announces her plans for the Better Grades Committee. Hartmut comments that the guard knight apprentices have an unfair advantage, since they have access to Eckhart’s old study guides, and Cornelius and Angelica have been learning mana compression. To even the playing field, Rozemyne prohibits Angelica from using Stenluke in her classes, dismaying the knight apprentices and satisfying Hartmut.

Hartmut serves as Rozemyne’s scholar during the fellowship gathering and gives her a cheat sheet summarizing each duchy’s colour, rankings, and archduke candidates.

During the meal, he asks Rozemyne about her plans for establishing her reputation at the Royal Academy, and is taken aback when she says she intends to live as a normal student. He explains that he views her as a true saint and wants to spread the legends of her sainthood as far as possible. Although she insists that her reputation was concocted by her guardians as a political ploy, he remains unmoved.

As the school term continues, Hartmut instructs Philine and the other scholar apprentices to spread Rozemyne’s exploits to other duchies at every opportunity.

While visiting the library with Rozemyne, Hartmut asks for reference documents about ditter strategies and previous Interduchy Tournaments. He works with Philine and two other apprentice scholars to transcribe it for use in the Ehrenfest dormitory.

Hartmut is assigned to copy the magic circles on Schwartz and Weiss’s clothing. Although he has good grades in the subject, he comments that the circles are so complex they’re completely beyond his expertise.

When Rihyarda demands that Rozemyne dismiss Traugott from her service, Hartmut is unsurprised. He mentions that Traugott intended to resign the moment he learned Rozemyne's mana compression method and says that he often expressed contempt for Rozemyne in private. Hartmut praises Rozemyne for how cleanly and efficiently she handles the situation, but she reprimands him for withholding important information from her. Stricken by her words, he apologizes and promises to do better in the future. .

Like the rest of Rozemyne’s retainers, Hartmut is shocked and worried when she collapses at her meeting with Prince Anastasius. When she returns to Ehrenfest, he remains at the Royal Academy to continue gathering information.

Although Hartmut learned from his mistakes during the Traugott incident, he still believes Rozemyne is better suited than Wilfried to be the next Aub; Cornelius mentions that he talks about it incessantly in private. Ottilie asks Leonore to keep an eye on him and keep his enthusiasm from getting the better of him.

During Lady Rozemyne's absence for the Dedication Ritual Hartmut is invited into a Gazebo by the Dunkelfelger archscholar Clarissa. Much to his surprise the one year younger girl sweeps his legs out from under him, pinns him to the ground and holds her schtappe transformed into a knife to his throat. Before he can gather his wits, she starts to kiss him and through this contact forces a small exchange of mana. Hartmut struggles against the seeminly crazy girl, but is unable to free himself and in the struggle sustains a small cut on his throat. After a few seconds Clarissa ends the kiss, but still keeps Hartmut pinned. Apparently satisfied with the quality of his mana, she demands that he give her a proposal challenge.

When Hartmut doesn't understands she elaborates that what she had done was something Dunkelfelger women did to choose their own marriage partner. If the pinned man was willing to marry the women, he would give her a challenge or series of challenges to test her and if she succeeded would agree to the marriage proposal. It is however unclear whether the use of a knife is normal or even if this is actually the truth and not just a story she made up to justify her actions.

Clarissa elaborates that she is desperately trying to become Lady Rozemyne's servant, but due to being from different duchies marrying into Ehrenfest is the only option she has to achieve her dream. She goes on to rant at length how great Lady Rozemyne is, which strikes a chord with Hartmut, who has longed for someone who admires the Saint of Ehrenfest as much as him.

Just as Clarissa asked, he gives her a task to proof herself aFter which they spend the rest of their date gushing about Lady Rozemyne.

Rozemyne decides to train Hartmut and Philine as key figures in the printing industry, and requests that Justus share some of his expertise with them while he is staying at the Royal Academy.

When Justus disguises himself as a woman to secure entry into Rozemyne’s tea party with Eglantine, Hartmut is initially troubled by the idea that she might expect him to do the same. However, he later becomes interested by the advantages it might offer. Rozemyne tries her best to persuade him to abandon the idea.

During her absence, he and Philine compiled a list of quirks and specialty products of each duchy to help prepare Rozemyne for a tea party with all the duchies.

After their return to Ehrenfest, Hartmut accompanies Rozemyne when she briefs her guardians on the intelligence they gathered at the Royal Academy. Ferdinand is highly impressed by the valuable information Hartmut gathered on the current internal state of Ahrensbach, and offers him a position as his own retainer, much to Rozemyne’s dismay. Hartmut refuses, citing both his duty to Rozemyne and his ongoing research on the nature of her blessings. Ferdinand seems interested in discussing the research, and they agree to meet later to share information.

When Philine does not arrive at the mana compression lecture, Hartmut persuades Rozemyne to contain her emotions and finish the lecture first.

Ferdinand warns Rozemyne that she can’t interfere with Philine’s family affairs without serious political repercussions, but Hartmut quickly creates a viable excuse for her to use. He suggests that Philine was mistakenly given a sum of money allotted for students of other duchies, and they need to rectify the mistake to avoid an interduchy scandal.

Hartmut goes with her to Philine’s estate and later accompanies the group to the the temple. He is interested in visiting again when Rozemyne next returns. However, Ferdinand loads him down with work at the castle so that she can have one final opportunity to say goodbye to Lutz and the Plantin Company in private.

The announcement of Rozemyne's engagement to Wilfried forces all of her Leisegang retainers, including Hartmut, to spend several days staying behind at the castle explaining that she truly does not want to be the next aub. When Wilfried is becomes depressed because of the criticism circulating about him, however, Hartmut is unmoved. He says that the criticism is both fair and accurate, and that Wilfried was only being naive if he expected the engagement would be accepted easily.

With the school term at the Royal Academy over, both Hartmut and Philine begin preparing to manage the printing industry. Hartmut is exceedingly impressed by the quality of work done by Rozemyne's temple attendants, as well as the education of the orphans in the orphanage.

During the Archduke Conference, Hartmut goes ingredient gathering with Rozemyne, the apprentice knights, and the Knight's Order. Overhearing Judithe discussing ditter with Rozemyne, he agrees to work on developing magic potions and powders that can be used to incapacitate enemies in battle. However, he is unused to being in battle himself, and he freezes along with the other apprentice scholars when the group is attacked by feybeasts. Rozemyne instructs him to attend practice with the Knight's Order in the future to grow more accustomed to battle.

When Hartmut accompanies Rozemyne to a meeting with the lower city merchants, he is disconcerted by the furnishings of the orphanage director's chambers, which he believes are not appropriate to her status as an archduke candidate. Later, he sharply reprimands Freida for speaking too directly to Rozemyne. However, Rozemyne tells him that she wants to hear Freida's honest thoughts, and that she won't allow any of her retainers to interfere. Hartmut apologizes for misjudging the situation. Later, he expresses his envy of the diptychs she gave to her temple attendants, prompting Rozemyne to wonder how she should show appreciation to her noble retainers.

When Rozemyne is visiting Groschel to perform their ceremonies at the Harvest Festival, she is also following up on the establishment of the local printing and paper-making workshops. This allows Hartmut to talk her into allowing him to join her on the trip. Due to nobody but participants and priests being allowed in the chapel of the temple during ceremonies, Hartmut has so far been barred from observing any of Rozemyne's blessings in person, but since there is no temple in Groschel, he sees this as a chance to finally rectify this. He is even so motivated about this chance that of his own initiative he seeks out Wilma - a grey shrine maiden and Rozemyne's temple attendant - and has her teach him about religious ceremonies.

Armed with this knowledge he is later offers to assist Fran with registering the citizenship medalions for the children that are being baptized, arguing that as a scholar he is familiar with the medals already and stating that Wilma has taught him about the ceremony itself. His competent help allows the baptism to proceed faster. Much to his delight he is finally able to see Lady Rozemyne bless the newly baptized children and the freshly married couples.

While at the temple he uses his off time to do paper-work for Ferdinand in exchange for stories about Rozemyne. Motivated by his passion of researching Rozemyne he worked through veritable mountains of paperwork.

Once back at the royal academy for the winter of Lady Rozemyne's second term, Hartmut states his willingness to even name-swear himself to his mistress and has only not done so, because he correctly deduced that Rozemyne does not want such a bond.

He already has a girl in mind he would like to escort for their graduation, but because he fears that Rozemyne might tell Lady Elvira who could then decide to make this part of one of her romance novels, he keeps her identity a secret from his mistress for the time being and intends to ask the girl during Rozemyne's scheduled absence for the Dedication Ritual.

Following Rozemyne's schtappe transformation class Hartmut learns that Rozemyne had turned her schtappe into a new kind of weapon and accidentally shredded her bed's canopy with it. Ever curious about new things he is eager to see this new weapon. Albeit reluctant at first Rozemyne eventually caves and shows off her water-gun, though more likely due to Leonore also showing keen interest and as a range-focussed knight potentially being able to copy this weapon for her own use, rather than to satisfy Hartmuts curiosity.

At Leonore's suggestion the trio, accompanied by Cornelius and Judithe, head to Ehrenfests gathering spot where Rozemyne tests her new gun against a feybeast. Hartmut is delighted to see it in action.

At the Interduchy Tournament Hartmut introduces Lady Rozemyne to the woman he is going to escort at his graduation ceremony, the Dunkelfelger scholar Clarissa. Since she is just as obsessed with Rozemyne and is eager to also enter her service. While the engagement is not official yet, the pair plans to get engaged.

In his final year at the royal academy, Hartmut is chosen to play an instrument during the graduation ceremony.

In his final year at the Royal Academy, Hartmut manages to be among the thirteen Ehrenfest's students who manage to attain honor student status.

Thanks to his involvement with the printing industry, as well as the exceptional skill he displayed as Rozemyne's retainer, Hartmut is chosen to accompany the archducal couple to the Archduke Conference right after his graduation, however he is only allowed to attend the negotiations with Dunkelfelger. Due to being a guard knight of one of the attending Dunkelfelger nobles, Clarissa's father is also present and keeps a very close eye on Hartmut, likely evaluating the future husband of his daughter.

After the return from the conference Aub Ehrenfest announces that Ferdinand has been engaged with Lady Detlinde of Ahrensbach and would thus step down from the position of high priest. Hartmut requests to become his successor, listing quite a few reasons for why he is qualified and well suited thanks to having worked under Ferdinand before and regularly going to the temple. He is willing stay in this position until Lady Rozemyne comes of age and leaves her position as High Bishop and will delay his own marriage accordingly. Should his fiancé or her family be opposed, he is willing to even end his engagement to fulfill this duty and assist his lady in any way he can. With no other noble willing to step forward Aub Ehrenfest relucantly accepts this and decrees that Hartmut will become the high priest, while simultaneously staying on as Rozemyne's retainer and being treated as such while at the castle.

Shortly after Hartmut is inducted into the temple as a regular blue priest, though without losing any of his noble privileges like usual. Officially Hartmut will only become the high priest once Ferdinand leaves for Ahrensbach, but in the meantime he is already taking over several of the duties of the office so Ferdinand can observe how well he is doing. One area where Ferdinand will remain in charge for the rest of the year is religious ceremonies, with Hartmut only participating as a blue priest and told to carefully observe so he can take over the following year.

Due to how sudden his induction into the temple was, there is not enough time for Hartmut's ceremonial robes to be made, so he borrows a robe stored in the temple that belonged to a former blue priest, of which several remain in the temple.

After witnessing Rozemyne perform the spring Coming-of-Age Ceremony for the commoners, he voices his disappointment that Rozemyne wasn't there to bless him at his coming-of-age and how lucky those commoners were. To cheer him up Rozemyne agrees to give him the blessing of the winter gods, despite it already being the end of spring, which moves Hartmut deeply.

Shortly before the next harvest festival Rozemyne wishes to grant Hartmut a gift for his hard work and to cheer him up, since as the high priest in training he has to visit his own set of provinces, rather than accompanying Rozemyne during for the festival and thus the work he put in to learn to be her tax official went to waste. Originally she intends to tell him how she became able to morph her schtappe into divine instruments, but upon hearing this her other retainers become very interested as well. Since the process involved providing mana to the instruments to learn the magic circles, Rozemyne is reluctant to turn her other retainers down, since their participation would be a great boon to the temple and Ehrenfest as a whole. Of course granting this permission to everyone of her retainer makes this ill suitable as a reward for Hartmut specifically, so she also allows him to join her in creating protective charms for Ferdinand.

Initially only Hartmut and Cornelius are donating mana to the divine instruments, but over time all of Rozemynes retainers join in. Hartmut and Cornelius also start a small-scale rivalry over who's going to be able to form a divine instrument first.

Hartmut has established himself as very popular in the orphanage. Despite him being an archnoble he does not lord his status over the commoners, but instead engages them nearly as equals. He is even courteous enough to crouch down when speaking with the smaller children to be closer to eye-level with them rather than talking down to them from above. He also spends a lot of time telling stories about Lady Rozemyne's activities and deeds in the castle to them, which is a win for both sides. The children are excited about the stories from the castle while Hartmut is happy to have a willing audience to whom he can extol Rozemyne's greatness at length, which most nobles in his social circles have grown thoroughly fed up with.

<Hartmut