The High Priest had used a Magical Tool to view my past. I considered that to be an unavoidable matter. However, I noticed something remarkable. If I used that Magical Tool again, I could re-read any book I'd previously read, even in my dreams. I longed to visit the library in my dreams, so I asked the High Priest to use the Magical Tool on me once more, but he flatly refused.
...How cruel, High Priest.
As for his original purpose—determining whether I posed any harm and assessing my value—he concluded that I had no malicious intent and was harmless, and that so long as I continued product development under the management of the local High Priest and
I was able to rest easy and continue living my life as usual without any particular changes.
Autumn drew to a close, and the second volume of the children's Holy Book was completed. I set aside twenty copies to be used as textbooks and sold forty to Benno, netting me six large gold coins. I had been strapped for cash recently, but suddenly I was flush with money.
Then
The orphanage, my room, and my family's home all had their Winter Preparations nearly finished. By the time the cold had set in to the point where it wouldn't have been strange for snow to start flurrying at any moment, I received a report from
"Mine, this morning the president of the Ink Guild and the master of the ink workshop came by. That's what Benno said."
"...So they noticed the difference in the ink after all?"
"Looks like it."
The children's Holy Books sold through the
The slightly bluish cast from gallnut ink was worlds apart from the oil-painting ink made from soot and drying oil.
Naturally, the Ink Guild had noticed the difference in ink immediately and sought out the producer of the new ink, but there was no such person within the guild. The one who said he "knew of someone who might be the producer" was the master of the ink workshop where I'd been allowed to tour.
"A child from the Gilberta Company said she knows of a different method for making ink."
Thanks to that workshop master's statement, the president of the Ink Guild and the workshop master had apparently come to the Gilberta Company. To ask whether "the Gilberta Company intends to produce ink for another Ink Guild as well."
The Gilberta Company already had a track record. The Plant Paper Association and workshop, established to rival the Parchment Association, were already circulating large quantities of somewhat cheaper Plant Paper. While it had been agreed that formal contracts would use Parchment, there was no denying that mass-producible Plant Paper had all the momentum.
And if, in the midst of all that, picture books made with Plant Paper using a different ink formula were being sold, it was only natural for the established interests to grow wary.
"He wants us to come to the Gilberta Company tomorrow. Benno says he'd like to talk."
"Got it."
I accepted the request casually, as was usual, and the next day headed not to the Temple but to the Gilberta Company with Lutz.
"Good morning, Benno."
"Oh, Mine. You're here."
Benno beckoned me over, and I approached the table while Lutz climbed the stairs at the back. As a blue-shirted apprentice, Lutz was in the process of practicing serving tea to visitors.
Once I took my seat, Benno also set down his work and came over to the table. He sat across from me and let out a slow breath.
"As expected, the Ink Guild has shown up. You said something about teaching them the ink formula and then handing off production entirely, didn't you?"
"Yes. If Benno keeps growing profits too much, you'll just end up making more enemies. And making ink has absolutely nothing to do with the Gilberta Company's main business, does it? If we produce it at Mine Workshop, I'm fine with just getting a royalty. Take the money and hand off the whole thing, I say."
If I wanted to spread printing far and wide, I'd need massive quantities of ink. Making it all myself would eventually become impossible. In that case, I might as well hand it off to whoever could do it.
"How much of a cut were you thinking?"
"Hmm, about the same as what I pay to the Temple... How about ten percent of the profits?"
When I made my proposal, Benno's expression soured and he shook his head slowly.
"That's way too cheap."
"But if it spreads, the profits will keep growing, won't they? Like Plant Paper, I want to sell it cheaply and widely."
Benno rejected my opinion—which was fundamentally focused only on expansion—with a sigh.
"Make it thirty percent for the first ten years at minimum. Twenty percent for the next ten, and ten percent from then on. That's about reasonable. Don't underprice new technology too much."
"Understood. I'll leave the profit discussions to you."
Even so, Benno was clearly compromising on my behalf. I understood that, so I left it to him.
"I've brought tea."
Lutz came in with the tea he'd brewed. With a tense expression, he set the cups down before me and Benno with a small clink. Benno narrowed his eyes, picked up the cup, and took a sip.
"...Still a long way to go."
"He's improving little by little. ...Lutz, want to have Fran teach you next time? She seems to be good at teaching—
"That might not be a bad idea. ...Haa."
Lutz was also being taught by
"Now, there's the matter of Contract Magic..."
"...Should we really use it?"
It was a contracting method that required a huge sum of gold and was normally only used when nobles were involved. The two times I'd used Contract Magic with Benno so far, both times Benno had intended it as a deterrent against nobles. This time, no nobles should have been involved with the Ink Guild.
"In this case, the scope for potential profit is too large, and the profit rate applies over a long period. Also, personally, I don't trust the Ink Guild's president. Better to be safe and use it. We'll contract with the Ink Guild as a whole rather than with the individual."
"Contract with the Ink Guild?"
Perhaps something like the concept of a legal entity existed here too. As I cocked my head in thought, Benno nodded slowly.
"That's right. It's a necessary measure to ensure the contract continues even if the president changes."
Apparently, there had been cases where people contracted with an individual, and once that person was replaced, the successor claimed they'd never entered into the contract and did as they pleased. Because incidents like this had happened repeatedly, something resembling the concept of a legal entity had gradually emerged here as well.
"We'll sell the ink formula to the guild. We'll grant royalty rights for whatever is produced at Mine Workshop. To spread it alongside Plant Paper, we'll keep it as affordable as possible. Our share is thirty percent of the profits. The rate changes every ten years. No problems with that, right?"
"Yes. Please also let them know that this ink doesn't work well with Parchment, since it tends to be repelled."
While I, Benno, and Lutz were reviewing the terms of our demands, there was a knock at the door and Mark entered.
"Sir, two visitors from the Ink Guild have arrived."
"Send them in once the bell rings."
"Understood."
Mark acknowledged and withdrew.
Benno stood up with a stern expression and helped me down from my chair. Then he jerked his chin toward Lutz, who silently nodded, opened the door to the back staircase, and left.
"Well then, Mine. I'll handle the negotiations with the Ink Guild. You should keep a low profile. Go to Corina's room. Later, I'll have someone bring you the Contract Magic documents—sign them upstairs."
"...Why is that?"
Having the person actually entering the contract absent from the negotiation table seemed rather unusual. As I blinked in confusion, Benno glanced toward the shop floor where the visitors would be and muttered in a low voice.
"The workshop master is one thing, but the Ink Guild's president has connections with nobles through his business dealings, and there are quite a few unpleasant rumors about him. You'd best avoid contact with him as much as possible."
"Understood. I'll do as you say."
I was burning with curiosity about the Ink Guild's president that Benno was so wary of, but I immediately went with Lutz to Corina's room. Lutz escorted me there and then headed back downstairs, since his role was to bring the Contract Magic documents later.
"Lutz, tell me what the Ink Guild's president was like afterward, okay?"
"Yeah, got it."
After seeing Lutz off, I turned to face Corina.
"Sorry, Corina. I barged in on you."
"It's fine, Mine dear. It's actually perfect timing—let me do a fitting on you."
"I'm sorry for the urgent request."
With a soft, gentle smile, Corina led me to the fitting room. Following her, I spotted
"You've got that right, Mine dear. Corina's as big as a house, and now she's getting tough commissions from high-ranking nobles on top of it."
"Otto, how many times have I told you not to stick your nose into my work?"
"I'm worried about you, Corina."
Even when Corina glared at him sharply, Otto remained completely unfazed. Their lovey-dovey dynamic was the same as ever.
Watching Corina scold him like an uncooperative child and firmly tell him not to get in the way before ushering him out of the room, I grew worried that perhaps Otto was the real source of Corina's headaches.
"I'm worried about Corina too. Otto, you're not running wild, are you? At the Gate, they were saying how similar your and my father's... enthusiasm for family love is. If Otto's getting too excited about his first child and Corina ends up suffering..."
"Oh my, is that what people are saying? Well then, your mother must have her hands full too, Mine dear."
Chuckling, Corina brought out blue fabric and began spreading it across the large table.
"Will the ceremony outfit be ready?... I don't think there's enough time."
"It's certainly a rush. The workshop is swamped. But since there aren't many commissions from high-ranking nobles yet, the tailors are giving it their all. And the payment was quite generous."
When dyeing fabric for my previous outfit, she had apparently dyed extra fabric at the same time for a dress from another commission. This time, that dress fabric was being used, and the workshop was running at full capacity on the embroidery.
"For the dress, they do a fitting with separate fabric before sewing the final version, so there's still time to dye the fabric now. Since you asked for it on such short notice, there's no leeway for a separate fitting for your outfit, Mine dear. But you were just measured recently, so your build hasn't changed, right?"
As Corina spoke, she held up the blue fabric—pinned with basting pins in several spots—against me. Her large belly got in the way, making it awkward.
"Sorry, Mine dear. Let me call a seamstress for a moment. It's a bit difficult doing this alone right now."
"Your belly really is big now, huh? Is it getting close?"
"Yes, they say it'll be in the middle of winter. The baby's lively and kicks a lot. I wonder if it's a boy."
Clinging to call the seamstress with a small bell, Corina gently stroked her large belly.
"Corina, did you call?"
It was Otto who came bursting in at the sound of the bell, looking delighted. At Corina's exasperated expression, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, since Mine is going to be dragging Benno away, I think I ought to observe how this work is done firsthand."
"Um, Otto, what do you mean by 'dragging Benno away'?"
There was no way a powerless child like me could drag off an adult man like Benno.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. Benno intends to keep expanding business as Mine's guardian going forward. And to that end, he's been drilling me with Gilberta Company work."
Saying this with a shrug, Otto helped Corina. His movements were surprisingly polished, and you could practically see the effort he'd put in.
"Otto, you look so skilled you'd never guess you were a Soldier. At this rate, won't the day come soon when you can stand in the shop alongside Corina?"
"...Well, it'll probably take a few years. But I'll do it for Corina and the baby."
"Yes, yes. Less talk, more action please."
Giving Otto his instructions, Corina finished the basting. The length was no issue, and it was agreed the tailoring would be done the same way as before.
After Corina shooed Otto out and was tidying the hair that the basting had mussed and helping me put on my jacket, a knock echoed from the direction of the back staircase and a voice announced, "It's Mark." I heard quick footsteps heading toward the back to greet him.
I hurriedly straightened my appearance and nodded just as the fitting room door was knocked upon.
"Come in."
"Corina, Mine—pardon the intrusion."
Mark, carrying the contract documents, and Lutz, carrying an ink pot, entered.
On Mark's hands, the Contract Magic contract was spread across the round table, and each item was reviewed one by one. The contents were almost identical to what Benno and I had discussed. The figures that favored our side were presumably what Benno had won through negotiation.
However, there was one unfamiliar clause. It read: "This contract's contents shall be recorded in the Ink Guild's bylaws."
"Mark, this part... what does it mean to record the contract contents in the Ink Guild's bylaws?"
"The guild bylaws are rules that every workshop belonging to the guild must follow. In other words, if it's recorded as an Ink Guild bylaw, it will also be recorded in the bylaws of Ink Guilds in other cities, and the workshops there will be bound by it as well."
While Contract Magic itself was limited to this city, the guild bylaws apparently applied in other cities as well. It seemed that bylaws were uniform across all guilds, but the detailed rules could differ from city to city and workshop to workshop. I understood it as bylaws being like a constitution—uniform nationwide—while the rules were like local ordinances with fine differences by region.
"But how do you record it in the bylaws of Ink Guilds in other cities? Is there some method of transmission?"
"It's precisely because it's profitable that they buy the new ink formula. Of course they'd pass the formula from this Ink Guild to nearby Ink Guilds. Along with the formula, the bylaws would also be amended."
I nodded at Mark's explanation and picked up the ink. The contract listed Benno's name and the Ink Guild, but not the president's own name. Then I wrote my name at the very bottom.
"Hey, Lutz. What was the Ink Guild's president like?"
"...Creepy-looking guy. He was asking about Mine."
"Huh?"
Lutz clenched his fist tight and furrowed his brow.
"The old man told Benno that the one who brought up a different ink formula at the ink workshop was supposedly a child. If she exists, bring her out. I think it was the right call hiding Mine here. To me, he gave off an even worse vibe than the Guild Master."
If Lutz was saying that much, the man must have had a truly unpleasant aura about him. If both Benno and Lutz were on their guard, then I should keep my own guard up too.
"That reminds me—Mine. Here, give me your hand."
Lutz held up a knife and told me to extend my hand.
Faced with the blood-drawing required for Contract Magic, I stammered and hesitated, but ultimately held out my palm. A hot pain shot through my fingertip and a bead of blood welled up.
I pressed the blood onto the contract, and the document was engulfed in golden flames, burning to nothing. The contract was complete.
"Mine, please stay here quietly until Benno gives you the okay."
"I know, Mark."
After that, I was lamented over by Otto for not being able to help with this winter's budget calculations, and had an animated conversation with Corina about the coming baby.
"Mine!"
Benno came rushing up the stairs looking pale at around lunchtime.
"I'm sending Mark to take Lutz home, and having your father and sister called. Don't you leave this place until they come for you!"
"...Mark is taking Lutz home? What on earth happened!?"
I stood up and rushed over to Benno. He narrowed his eyes and rested his chin in his hand.
"Lutz, who was sent on an errand to the commercial guild, was accosted by some strange men. They asked what kind of child the Gilberta Company's daughter was. They said if there's a blue-shirted apprentice who could carry contract documents upstairs, he'd surely know."
"The contract documents means..."
I trailed off, and Benno nodded slowly.
"I believe they were from the Ink Guild, but I can't understand why they'd be gathering information after the contract is already finished."
If they were trying to get an advantage in negotiations, or scoping out the other party because they desperately wanted to make the deal, that would be understandable. But the contract was already done. And yet they'd gone out of their way to accost Lutz, making it blatantly obvious that they were snooping around despite knowing it would put us on alert. I couldn't fathom the purpose.
And what I couldn't understand frightened me.
"...I don't know what's going on behind the scenes. It's best to exercise maximum caution."
"Right."
"Your escort has arrived."
"Father! Turi!"
Since he had the day off from work, he'd probably come in a hurry. Father and Turi arrived, out of breath.
"I'm sorry to have called you here."
By the arrival of Father and Turi, the summoned Benno had come upstairs and addressed Father.
"No, I appreciate everything you've done to protect my daughter. Would it be alright to hear what exactly is going on?"
"The Ink Guild is definitely making moves, but even I don't fully understand what's behind it yet. Gathering information now that the contract is finished, accosting Lutz—it's all unnatural."
I could see Father's expression darken at Benno's explanation. Turi looked at me with an anxious expression and threw her arms around me in a tight hug.
"To ensure her safety, I think it would be best to have Mine stay at the Temple from now on. This depends on the family's judgment as well, but at least as long as she's at the Temple, they won't be able to touch her. And it buys us time to gather information."
"...Mm."
After nodding heavily at Benno's words, Father furrowed his brow and lifted me into his arms.
"Mine, what do you want to do? Go to the Temple, or go home?"
If I said I didn't want to be alone, he would probably take me home. But the chances of Lutz or my family being accosted by unknown strangers would increase.
"...I don't want to leave, but I'd hate it even more if something happened to Lutz or my family. I'll go to the Temple. It's going to snow soon anyway."
Even so, I was a little anxious, and my grip on Father's jacket tightened.
"It'll be fine, Mine. I'll come visit you lots, so you won't be lonely."
"Yeah.
From that day on, I began my winter confinement at the Temple.
I handed off the ink production, but the atmosphere is rather uneasy.
And so the winter confinement begins.
Next time: the Temple classroom and winter handicrafts.