The colored inks had turned out to be something reasonably close to finished. Since they were the kind of inks that would turn black if you mixed two colors on a palette, caution was needed in handling them—but at least they worked on paper treated with fixative, allowing for layering.
One way or another, this was a step forward.
"Aaah, we finished it in no time at all!"
Unlike me, who felt relieved,
"The research the young lady is funding was about making colored inks, so it's done."
"I got the results I needed, but if you'd like to continue the research, I can provide some funding, you know?"
"Eh!?"
When I said that, Heidi beamed with joy while Josef turned to me with a look that said he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Foundational research into colored inks is important if we want to make colors more vivid or increase the number of available colors. I didn't have much time, so I prioritized finishing the inks themselves, but if you can, it's better to keep researching."
And since I had no intention of figuring out the cause of the discoloration myself, I'd be more than happy if someone else did it for me.
"Young lady, you're the best!"
"You're spoiling Heidi too much!"
"To me, both Heidi and Josef are comrades in
Printing required ink specialists too. When I grinned happily at the thought of my new companions,
"We've got even more now…"
Heidi and Josef blinked and tilted their heads.
"Guten… eh? What did you say?"
"Gutenberg. A great figure who performed a feat equal to that of the gods by completely transforming the history of books. As it stands, Johan with the metal type,
I puffed out my chest as I explained, but Josef still tilted his head, clearly not understanding. However, Heidi jumped up with delight.
"Gutenberg, Josef! It's a job! And they'll fund us! We can do research! Yaaay!"
In any case, the colored inks were done. Heidi could research whatever she wanted from here on out without any problem. If anything, once the cause was understood, it might prove useful in some way, and I wanted her to keep pushing forward with ink research.
"However, the top priority is making ink. If you fail to deliver ordered inks by the deadline, I will cut off funding without mercy."
"Eeek!?"
Research-obsessed types like these had a bad habit of losing sight of everything around them once they got started. I had to drill into them what came first and set clear penalties for failure, or they'd go off the rails completely.
"Figures, coming from a fellow enthusiast. You know exactly how she'd behave."
When Lutz said that with a laugh, even Josef covered his mouth and chuckled softly. He said he'd take responsibility for overseeing Heidi's research.
"The colored inks are looking good, right? Next, I want wax paper."
What I wanted to prepare next was the wax paper essential for stencil duplication. Since you could print exactly what you wrote with a stylus, I figured it would be much easier for picture books—you wouldn't have to painstakingly cut out letters to make a printing plate or set metal type, you could just print the text portion directly.
Fine-line illustrations could be printed too, so Vilma's designs might look even more wonderful.
"Can't you use the current printing plates?"
"It's not that they don't work. I can still make picture books with what we have. But if I could make wax paper, we'd have more ways to express things. Instead of carefully cutting out a printing plate with a cutter, using a stylus for stencil cutting is far simpler, and we'd be able to use finer lines too."
To make wax paper, we first needed paper thin enough to see through.
But we'd only been doing papermaking for about two and a half years—Lutz was the longest-tenured among us—and the orphans hadn't even been at it for a year. While making slightly thicker paper for picture books was manageable, creating paper that was thin yet uniform was a real challenge. I'd been having them work on it at Mine Workshop, but failures still outnumbered successes. The paper tended to tear when being removed from the screen or when laid out on boards to dry.
"If it were Trombe, it'd be pretty easy to make," Lutz said with a light sigh.
Trombe had finer and longer fibers than Forin, making it easier to form into thin, even sheets. But using Trombe as printing paper was far too expensive—and far too rare.
"We need to manage with Forin somehow, or the cost will be too steep."
"…Yeah."
Paper improvement would have to be carried by Lutz and
Alongside making paper for picture books, they gathered the dexterous ones and had them form thin sheets, examining together what they could do to increase the success rate.
After a few days, Lutz returned from lunch and came to my room.
"Mine, I got a message from the master. They've made contact with the wax workshop."
"Really!?"
"They said tomorrow afternoon would be good."
"Now we can make Gil's writing board too."
That evening, I asked my father to build a writing board frame the same size as Lutz's for Gil. All that would be left was to pour wax into the center.
My own wax had dwindled considerably and had lost its flexibility, so I wanted it remelted too. I scraped out the wax from my writing board with a will, leaving it completely empty.
"Good morning, Benno."
"Right, let's go."
Benno hoisted me up onto his shoulder and started walking. I could see Gil and Lutz scurrying along behind him over his shoulder—Gil clutching the writing board frame I'd handed him, and Lutz carrying it carefully against his chest.
Damiel looked momentarily flustered at how casually Benno picked me up, but he quickly realized he couldn't keep up with Benno's long strides and started walking faster too.
"Benno, how much do you think we could sell the method for removing the animal fat smell for?"
I needed to go over things with Benno before heading to the workshop. If he told me I'd gone off the rails again or started doing things on my own, I'd be in trouble.
"Just like we sold the ink recipe to the Ink Guild, I think it'd be better to sell to the guild rather than a single workshop. It's not the kind of price a single workshop could handle."
"I see."
It sounded like it would bring in a substantial sum. It could serve as funding for all the research, development, and improvement that Gutenberg seemed to require. As I was mentally gearing up to negotiate hard, Benno's low voice cut in as a warning.
"I'll handle the negotiations for the smell removal. Don't show your face at the negotiating table. There may well be other creeps like
"…Yes."
I'd leave the salting-out negotiations to Benno. We'd discuss the profit split and negotiating approach later.
"If you're putting off the negotiation, then what exactly are we doing at the wax workshop today?"
"Today, Gil and I are going to have wax poured into our writing boards. After that, I'd like to purchase several different types of wax."
"Just purchase? Nothing else?"
I nodded at Benno's question.
For now, I wanted to test whether wax paper could be made without modifying the wax at all. If it worked, great. If it didn't, we'd have to start modifying the wax.
"I'd like it if the wax worked for wax paper without adding anything, but if it doesn't, I'd like the workshop to help with the modifications. I want them to add something like pine resin to make the wax a bit stickier."
The wax used for wax paper was made by mixing in resins like pine resin and paraffin. There was no way they had paraffin made from petroleum here, and I wasn't even sure my knowledge would apply.
Given how the colored inks had unexpectedly changed color, there was a chance modifications could cause strange reactions, so if possible, I wanted a wax expert to help when the time came.
"Hmm. For now, today is just purchasing. You want to try making it first, and only add things if it doesn't work?"
"Yes."
Benno carried me into the wax workshop. The interior was thick with humid heat and the indescribable stench of animal fat—the kind that made you want to pinch your nose.
Since Benno had contacted them ahead of time, the workshop master came out immediately.
"Oh, Benno. Welcome. What can I do for you today?"
"I want you to pour your cheapest wax into these."
When Gil and I held up our writing boards, the master said, "Ah, I've done this before," and immediately poured in the wax.
Told not to touch it until it solidified, Gil stared nervously at the transparent wax being poured in, his mouth twisted into a gleeful grin. Every now and then he'd blow on it, trying to cool it faster.
"Gil, if you keep doing that, the surface might solidify in waves, you know?"
When I said that with a laugh, Gil's shoulders jolted and he looked at me.
"Well, you're one to talk, Mine—the one who poked it with her finger while it was half-set and made the surface all bumpy."
"Lutz told you that?!"
Exposed by Lutz's big mouth, I shot him a glare. Gil backed a little further from the writing board with a grin, clearly not wanting to repeat my mistake.
"Hey, Benno. There's something else, right? You wouldn't have gone out of your way to contact them just for this."
The master finished filling the writing boards with wax, cleaned up his tools, and came back to Benno. Benno gave a slight nod.
"Yeah. I'd like one small box of every type of wax you carry."
"Every—every type? Not the usual candles?"
"Yeah, don't mix things up. I don't want candles—I want wax."
At Benno's order, the master's eyes went wide. Usually when the Guildentabel Company placed orders, they specified candle sizes, materials, and quantities. Having the master come in and buy every type of wax before it even became candles was completely unexpected.
"What are you going to use it all for?"
"That, I can't say yet."
Benno gave a slight smile, and the master narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. It was only natural to assume that Benno—who energetically launched into one new venture after another—was planning to create something new again.
"Understood. I'll have it delivered to the shop by tomorrow."
"If there's anything you can have ready right now, could I get one or two right away?"
"Sure, I'll prepare them right away."
The master bustled into the back workshop and called out to the workers there. Armed with two types of wax, we left the workshop.
"There. Now you can work on it, right?"
"Thank you, Benno."
After returning to the Guildentabel Company, I settled the wax payment with Benno using our cards. Then I wrote out the salting-out method on paper and set the fee for negotiating on my behalf. With that, Benno should handle all negotiations with the Wax Guild.
"Well then, let's try it out as soon as we get back to the workshop," I said, handing Gil the box of wax.
Lutz knit his brows with unease.
"Hey, Mine. What are you going to do? What's the plan? Your explanation is totally inadequate. Talk it through properly here before we head back to the
Since I basically couldn't move around freely in the workshop, I'd need to explain beforehand. I'd been planning to explain in my room, but it was better to do it here at the Guildentabel Company to prevent information leaks. I nodded firmly.
"See that thin paper we made? You spread a thin layer of wax on it. Shave the wax really fine, scatter it over the paper, and then run an 'iron' over it. Simple, right?"
"Mine, what exactly is this iron, and where is it?"
When I explained the simplest method for making waxed paper, Lutz's cheek twitched.
It seemed my explanation of an iron hadn't quite landed. I dug through my memory and tried to describe it.
"Um, it's a flat-bottomed metal thing that you heat up really hot, and you use it to press out wrinkles in fabric. You don't know it? I think wealthy households and clothing workshops would have them."
Thinking about the time I'd had ceremonial robes made, Corina definitely had one. When I told them, Benno chimed in from the side.
"Yeah, Corina's workshop has one. An iron, right? That's what you're going to use?"
According to Benno, wealthy families who wore fine clothes, as well as clothing workshops, had iron-like devices shaped like a flat-bottomed pot filled with charcoal—a heated press for smoothing out wrinkles. Since our family only ever wore secondhand clothes, we had no use for one, so it simply didn't exist in our household, which was why Lutz didn't know about it.
"Benno, does the Guildentabel Company carry irons?"
"No, those are custom-ordered from a blacksmith. It's not something everyone needs, and it's not something you need many of. …That said, irons are tricky to handle—an amateur can make a mess of the surrounding area. Can you two actually use one?"
With the pot-shaped iron, ash tended to scatter everywhere, making a mess. I wanted an easy-to-use electric iron, but there was no way I could make one.
"For now, I'll at least improve the design a bit and ask Johan to make one."
It seemed we couldn't get started right away. As I groaned "Mmnnn," Lutz groaned too and crossed his arms.
"I know that feeling all too well—having the drive and the knowledge but no tools. Think carefully, Mine. Isn't there something else you're missing?"
Lutz had pointed out the tool shortage we'd struggled with during papermaking. I pressed my hand to my cheek and tried to remember the simple waxed paper method.
"Right, first you shave the wax really fine and scatter it over the paper. That's fine—a tea strainer works for shaving. You can buy one at a general store. Then you scatter the fine wax over the paper and…"
That's when I went pale and started flapping my mouth wordlessly. Just as Lutz had pointed out—we didn't have the right tools. I clutched my head and sank to the ground.
"Nooo! I don't have parchment paper!"
"Huh!? What?"
To make waxed paper the simple way, I'd need parchment paper. I definitely couldn't make that myself. At the very least, I didn't know how.
"…That's totally impossible."
"Rather than moping, think of a solution first. Is there anything that could substitute?"
At Lutz's words, I furrowed my brows and thought hard. Before parchment paper, people had used aluminum foil or paraffin paper. Aluminum foil would crinkle up, making it impossible to spread the wax evenly, and paraffin paper was basically wax paper itself—paper coated with paraffin wax—so it was essentially the same thing we were trying to make.
"Um, I think its purpose is to keep the melted wax from soaking into the surrounding fabric when you use the iron. So couldn't we just sandwich it between regular paper? If it works, that is. What do you think, Lutz?"
Come to think of it, when the wax layer got too thick, I remembered being able to sandwich it with copy paper to absorb some of the excess, so I was pretty sure paper would work. I wanted it to work.
"I have no idea, so I can't answer that. Are there any other tools we need?"
"If we're just making the waxed paper, that should be all we need. But to test whether the waxed paper actually works as wax paper, I'd need a stylus for stencil cutting and a file."
For waxed paper alone, all we were doing was melting and drying wax, so while there was a chance wax might get on the iron or I might make a mess if I wasn't careful, I didn't think we'd actually fail. The real question was whether the waxed paper would work as actual wax paper.
"A stylus for stencil cutting and a file… Johan's department?"
"Yep. Both fall under Johan's jurisdiction."
When I stood up tall and gave Lutz a big nod, Benno's mouth twisted into a grin.
"Being Gutenberg's companion is tough on you, isn't it?"
"It's not just Johan—Benno, you're Gutenberg too, you know."
When I pointed out how he was acting like it was none of his business, Benno's expression hardened in an instant. He grabbed my head with one hand and growled in a low voice.
"Everyone who's been certified as Gutenberg by you is buried under mountains of work and having a miserable time. You keep piling on one job after another—the least you could do is say something appropriate."
"Eh? Eh? Eh?"
I couldn't come up with the right words on the spot. I looked at Benno and Lutz. Both wore similar stern expressions, waiting for me to say something. No help was coming.
"I look forward to continuing to work together toward the spread of books—"
"That's not it! Show some—"
gratitude!
Benno rapped my head with his knuckles, and I cried out with tears in my eyes.
"Thank you so much! Thank you so much! Everything I am today is thanks to Lutz and Benno! I know I'll keep causing you trouble, but please continue to look after me!"
Benno had pointed out that I kept piling work onto Gutenberg members one after another, but with the time I had left with
When I went to pick up Gil's stylus, Johan—who'd been looking for work beyond metal type—received my design documents for an iron improved to a shape I knew, a stylus for stencil cutting, and a file for stencil cutting.
When Johan learned that all the tools were for printing, he realized he would never escape the title of Gutenberg, and wept tears of joy.
Before we could take on wax paper, we'd hit a standstill due to lacking tools.
Johan would no doubt be working through his massive backlog of orders with tears in his eyes.
Next time, Deria makes progress.