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The Light Novel series is the source material for the adaptation of the Anime and Manga series. The information and terminology on the article will be based on the source material rather than the adaptions. |
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I wish for everyone to consider you as much of a saint as I do, and to that end, I will spare no expense. | ”
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— Hartmut to Rozemyne in Part 4 Volume 1 Chapter 10: Royalty and Nobles from Other Duchies
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Hartmut (ハルトムート Harutomuuto) is an archnoble apprentice scholar who serves as Rozemyne’s retainer.
His mother is Ottilie and his father is Leberecht[2]. Next winter, he will enter his final year at the Royal Academy.
Appearance
Hartmut has amber (sometimes called “orange”) eyes and noticeable red hair. He smiles frequently and has a bright, peaceful expression. Rozemyne remarks that his way of speaking makes him sound exactly like Justus[3]. He is about 175 cm (5’9”) tall[4].
Personality
Hartmut gives the impression of a friendly young man who loves talking to people and is quite good at gathering information[5]. Internally, he is more cynical and calculating than he appears.
He is devoted to Rozemyne and praises her effusively to anyone who will listen, to the point where her other retainers are often exasperated by his rambling speeches.
Prior to becoming Rozemyne's retainer, his uncle described him as "exceedingly uncaring" and "infinitely stubborn". When he hears Rozemyne describing Hartmut as open-minded, he is surprised to the point of shock. Seeing the once uncaring boy being so devoted has become both a heartwarming sight, but also a point of worry for his family[6].
Despite his eccentric attitude, Hartmut is exceedingly competent and has high standards for both himself and others. He judges other people primarily based on how useful they are (or aren’t) to Rozemyne, and is willing to do whatever he can to most effectively support her.
He has shown a surprising willingness to treat commoners and grey priests respectfully and even allow them to teach him. This attitude is very much out of the ordinary among nobles in general, and archnobles in particular[6].
History
Hartmut was born the youngest[5] of Ottilie and Leberecht’s three[7] sons. His family is part of the Leisegang political faction. Due to his mother being a friend of Elvira, he and Cornelius spent a lot of time together as children.
Prior to his current occupation, he worked under his uncle, who is also an archscholar[8].
He was initially dismayed when his mother was asked to serve a young archnoble girl, believing it to be an insult to his family’s equivalent status. However, after seeing Rozemyne give a blessing to the crowd at her noble baptism, Hartmut was deeply moved. He became convinced that she was a true saint and someone worthy of being the next Aub Ehrenfest[9].
When Hartmut heard that Wilfried committed the crime of entering the Ivory Tower, he told his mother that Rozemyne should have used the opportunity to cement her position as the next archduchess. Ottilie replied that Rozemyne thought “only of raising others up, not dragging them down” and advised him to support her in positive ways instead. Hartmut accordingly devoted himself to spreading the legends of her sainthood to as many people as possible[9].
During the time Rozemyne spent unconscious in the jureve, Hartmut sharply criticized Cornelius and her guard knights for letting her be harmed[10]. He also gathered information at the Royal Academy in accordance with Rozemyne’s instructions, focusing on interduchy relations. Ferdinand was especially satisfied with his work.
Story
See Story Tab
Relationships
Skills and Abilities
Magical Abilities
- Mana Affinities: While Hartmut’s total number of elemental affinities is unclear, he informs Rozemyne that he has affinity for Light, but no affinity for Darkness[11].
- Magecraft: As an apprentice scholar, Hartmut has studied magic circles, magic tools, and potions. He earned very good grades in his class on magic circles[11].
Nonmagical Abilities
- Intelligence Work: Hartmut is gifted at gathering information, to the extent that even Ferdinand offers him a position as his retainer[12]. He is also skilled at spreading rumors and misinformation to improve Ehrenfest's (and Rozemyne's) political standing.
- Education: A good (albeit strict) teacher, Hartmut frequently delegates tasks to the younger apprentice scholars, corrects their errors, and coaches them on how to respond to queries from other duchies.
Trivia
- Hartmut is a distant blood relative of Rozemyne and several of her other retainers, including Leonore, Brunhilde, Cornelius, and Traugott[7], all of whom are descendants of important Liesegang faction members. In fact, Previous Count Leisegang is their great-grandfather.
- Hartmut first appeared on page in Part 3 Volume 3, when he introduced himself to Rozemyne as son of Leberecht in the children's room. Since there are so many children greeting Rozemyne at the same time, she hardly remembers.
- Hartmut is said to be the amalgamation of Justus' peculiarity and Eckhart's fanatic loyalty.
References
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 8. Chapter 12: Report on the Archduke Conference (Second Year)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 3 Volume 3. Chapter 5: A Class for Kids
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 1. Chapter 8: The Better Grades Committee
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Fanbook 2. Character Design Sheets
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 1. Chapter 7: My Retainers and Entering the Dormitory
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 5. Chapter 11: Groschel and the Harvest Festival
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Fanbook 2. Noble Family Tree
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 5. Chapter 10: Post-Competition and the Harvest Festival
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 1. Chapter 10: Royalty and Nobles from Other Duchies
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 2. Life without One’s Lady
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 2. Chapter 7: Measuring Schwartz and Weiss
- ↑ Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 3. Chapter 15: Buying Information and the Mana Compression Lecture