Side Story: Let's Cut Down on Work

I'm Benno. Owner of the Guildberta Company, 30 years old, single.

Every last one of them just keeps piling work onto me one after another! Are they trying to kill me!?

Early the next morning after I was told that Mine had become Rosemaryne, I received a summons from the Chief Priest. I'd expected a call eventually, since he knew all sorts of things about Mine, but I didn't think it would come the very morning after the uproar. For nobles who normally took days just to get a meeting appointment, they were working way too fast.

Once the second bell rang and the Gate opened, the shop would be swamped with merchants bringing in their goods. Right in the middle of that chaos, Gil came rushing in with an invitation. It was the first time I'd received one that simply said "Urgent" with no date or time specified.

"You two handle the rest!"

I hastily changed clothes with Mark and headed for the Temple. This was an extremely important meeting that would determine how the Guildberta Company would be treated going forward.

As Gunther had warned me, if Rosemaryne—now the daughter of a high-ranking noble—deemed us unnecessary, we could easily be disposed of.

"Good of you to come, Benno of the Guildberta Company. Arno, see to clearing the room."

My meeting with the Chief Priest was to be a confidential affair—even the Attendants were sent away.

"Do you know what this is about?"

"...About Lady Rosemaryne, I presume?"

"You're well-informed. Who told you?"

Lying here would accomplish nothing, and I wanted to avoid souring my impression with the Chief Priest, who was the person closest to Rosemaryne in the Temple.

"When Mine's family came to the shop, Mark here, Lutz, and one other doppelganger were present along with me. That's all."

I explained to him about the commotion in the lower town that Lutz and Otto had told me about, how they'd taken refuge at my place, and how Mine's family had come to pick up Lutz.

"Come to think of it, Damuel also reported that Lutz had gotten caught up in it."

After murmuring that, the Chief Priest began explaining Rosemaryne's future. He told me that the high-ranking noble daughter who had been entrusted to the Temple had created the Rosemaryne Workshop to save the orphanage, and that for this achievement, Rosemaryne would be adopted by the Lord and installed as High Priest after her Baptism Ceremony.

"Creating a heartwarming story about giving orphans jobs and food will cover up the unnaturalness of having owned a workshop before the Baptism Ceremony. Benno, make sure you keep everyone involved with the Guildberta Company and the Mine Workshop well-coordinated. Keep in mind that any one of you could be disposed of at any time."

"My lord."

Mine's father had told me the same thing, but coming from a noble like the Chief Priest, the weight of it was entirely different.

"I know I'm imposing a difficult and troublesome task on you, but I don't want the Lord—being unfamiliar with the lower town and finding it all too much hassle—to start wiping out everyone associated with Rosemaryne."

My throat bobbed with a gulp. For nobles, disposing of inconvenient commoners was easy enough. As for which the Lord would choose—the rapidly profitable Rosemaryne or us—there was no need to even think about it.

I made information control regarding Mine and Rosemaryne my top priority.

"Also, take this. It's from the Lord."

The Chief Priest thrust at me an order from the Lord. It was written in that flowery noble style, but summarizing the content, it amounted to two things.

First: "Go ahead and accelerate the printing industry plan as discussed." And second: "Once the Starbinding Ceremony is over, I'll be going to the restaurant, so have the place finished and ready for me."

Do you understand my panic when the blue priest who came for a workshop inspection turned out to be the Lord?

I'd been plenty shaken then, and this time was giving me a headache too. The printing business expansion I'd thought I had two years to prepare for had suddenly crashed down right in front of me. My head was spinning.

But there was no time to be stunned blank. If I didn't handle this unreasonable order, my life would be in danger.

"He said he'd be sending company members and a civil official to an orphanage in a nearby town soon, and told you to attend the meeting with the official."

"When will that be?"

I couldn't delegate a meeting with a noble civil official to someone else. I'd need to clear my schedule entirely, and if Mark was coming along, I'd need to rearrange the work inside the shop as well.

"It should be after I've spoken with the official, so it won't be immediate."

"Would it be possible for us to send someone to inspect the orphanage as well? Preferably someone who can compare the orphanage before and after the workshop was built."

If we were stuck with a civil official who only looked at merchants with suspicion, nothing would get done no matter what. Having someone who knew the on-the-ground changes, who was close to Rosemaryne—the Lord's adopted daughter and incoming High Priest—versus not having such a person made all the difference. To protect ourselves, it was better to have as much borrowed authority as we could get.

"Very well. I'll pass along the instruction for one of Rosemaryne's Attendants to accompany the inspection."

"I'm grateful. Also, about this request from the Lord—is he serious?"

Nobody would believe you if you told them the Lord was coming to a restaurant in the lower town. I couldn't believe it even after receiving the order.

The Chief Priest slowly nodded, glaring bitterly at the order.

"He said he wanted to hear about the inspection over a meal. Apparently his reason is that in the audience chamber, he can't hear your opinions."

Wait a minute. So he wanted a report meeting—not just a meal or tasting, but an actual debriefing on the orphanage inspection and the printing business? No way.

"So just to confirm, he wants us to meet with the civil official, go on the inspection, compile the results, and then report everything at the Italian restaurant?"

"That's correct."

"The deadline is right after the Star Festival...?"

"...That's right."

I wanted to scream "Can we even do that?!" but forced myself to swallow it. I pressed my fingers to my temples, and the Chief Priest looked at me with an expression brimming with sympathy.

"Consider it a trial to test your abilities, and endure."

For the always composed Chief Priest to speak so dismissively was mildly surprising. Irritation was showing through on his face for once.

Now that I looked more closely, his complexion was poor and he clearly hadn't slept much. Being summoned on the morning after the uproar, he must have been running around all night dealing with the aftermath.

I immediately understood—he was being jerked around by the Lord's rampage too. The Chief Priest, being closer to both the Lord and Rosemaryne, probably had it harder than me. Thinking that there was someone in a worse spot was at least a small comfort.

"May I ask how many nobles will be visiting? Having the Lord himself come to a restaurant in the lower town is truly unprecedented, and..."

"Unprecedented indeed..."

The Chief Priest's expression turned unbearably bitter. Our eyes met, and I gave a slight shrug. The silent message—"We're both in for a rough time"—seemed to come through clearly. The Chief Priest's demeanor softened slightly, and he managed a wry smile.

"As long as you're dealing with Rosemaryne, you're connected to that Lord too. I'm overwhelmed with the Temple and the Noble District. I'll leave the lower-town troubles to you."

"I'd like to decline with my whole heart, but I suppose that's not possible."

"If I could, I would."

We both shared a small, strained laugh before the Chief Priest's expression hardened again.

"As for the nobles heading to the restaurant: the Lord, the Knight Commander as the Lord's escort, Rosemaryne as the central figure of the printing business, and myself. Several escorting knights will come along, but you don't need to count them among the dining guests. However, they'll be eating in shifts, so you'll need to prepare a waiting room."

Even a low-ranking noble visiting would cause a huge stir, let alone the Lord. There was no room to talk about "adding prestige." To avoid trouble, it was better to keep everything thoroughly concealed. If the Lord, the Knight Commander, the High Priest, and the Chief Priest all showed up together... who could predict what would happen?

I wrote the Chief Priest's words on my slate and furrowed my brow. The workload was absurdly heavy. Both the printing business and the Italian restaurant weren't original Guildberta Company ventures, so there were few people I could pull in to help.

But the printing business, directly ordered by the Lord, wasn't something I could slack off on. How to keep the work moving, how to reduce the backlash against the rapidly growing Guildberta Company—there were mountains of things I needed to think about.

First, I'd have to deal with the Guild Master, who added petty complaints every time I filed an application. Saying it was the Lord's will would shut him up on the surface, but he'd certainly start doing underhanded things that were hard to detect. I'd need some bait.

"...If the Lord and other nobles are coming, I'd like to send the cook to train elsewhere. He's currently training at Rosemaryne's place, but would it be all right to bring him out?"

"Rosemaryne plans to continue her education in the Noble District until the Baptism Ceremony. After she's gone there, it should be fine, but I'll ask just in case."

"Then could you give me this?"

I wrote on Plant Paper a proposal to make the Guild Master a co-investor in the Italian restaurant. By using the restaurant as bait, I hoped to secure his future cooperation, reduce my workload, and ease the hostility from those around me. As a bonus, I'd deposit Hugo and the others with the Guild Master to train, which would enrich the noble-oriented recipes.

While we talked, the Chief Priest retrieved a bundle from the top of a shelf.

"Once Rosemaryne's Baptism Ceremony is over, her inauguration as High Priest will follow immediately. The inauguration is scheduled just before the Starbinding Ceremony, but until then, have this tailored to Rosemaryne's measurements."

He unfurled what he'd been holding—the ceremonial vestments of the High Priest.

Rosemaryne's Baptism Ceremony clothes would be prepared by her father, the high-ranking noble, but apparently the Temple needed to prepare the High Priest's vestments themselves, since the tailoring demands were far beyond normal capacity.

"Your shop should have her measurements. The sash will use the same one from previous ceremonies, so that's no issue. She seemed quite particular about the tailoring style, so leave that as is. Also, order the Hairpin for the Baptism Ceremony. I want it made with the finest thread—something gorgeous."

"...Understood."

Information control, the printing business, the Italian restaurant, and now actual clothing work on top of everything else.

I was going to die. I was absolutely going to be crushed to death by work.

When I returned to the shop carrying an absurd amount of work, Leon reported that the Guild Master had sent for me. I changed into noble attire while listening to the report.

"He apparently wants to speak about Lady Rosemaryne. Where did his information leak from, I wonder?"

I'd heard it directly from Mine's family, so I needed to track down the source of the Guild Master's information—otherwise it could cause problems down the line.

Clicking my tongue, I set the meeting for that afternoon. I had to clear my urgent work before the messenger returned from the Guild Hall.

"Mark, send someone to the smithy. Tell them we need type castings produced as quickly as possible. And tell Bias's ink workshop to start making printing ink. Explain that the Lord has ordered the printing industry to be expanded throughout the territory."

Regardless of how the orphanage inspection went, the expansion of the printing business was certain. Best to push preparations forward as quickly as possible.

Mark changed clothes and nodded, letting out a slow sigh.

"Given this situation, we need to bring the Guild Master on board as soon as possible. If we keep losing time over every single application, we'll never keep up."

"I'll discuss that with him today. The old man's sharp when it comes to profit, so he's a pain, but he's not someone we can't move."

With that, I finished changing and carried the vestments the Chief Priest had entrusted to me up the stairs to Corina's home.

"Corina! Rush job—re-tailor this garment to Mine's measurements."

Corina's eyes went wide at the sight of the white ceremonial vestments.

"Brother Benno, these are the High Priest's vestments, aren't they?"

"They happen to be exactly the same size as Mine's, but the person wearing them will be Rosemaryne, the high-ranking noble daughter. Don't get them confused—be careful."

She must have gotten some information from Otto already. Corina lowered her eyes for a moment, then slowly nodded.

Corina was a merchant who dealt with nobles. She knew how to swallow the unreasonable and the incomprehensible and get the job done.

"Understood."

"Oh, and I've also been asked to make an ornate Hairpin for the high-ranking noble daughter's Baptism Ceremony. Since it's for a baptism, white is the base color. Use seasonal blue and gold from her eyes as accent colors. ...I think an experienced craftsman would be best—what do you think?"

"Yes, that sounds right."

When I implicitly told her that the work would be going to Mine's family, Corina let out a small chuckle. My intentions had come through clearly.

After finishing the work order with Corina, I went back downstairs to find that the messenger I'd sent to the commercial guild had just returned.

"I'm heading to the guild. Mark, get ready."

"Already done."

When we arrived at the commercial guild, I was immediately shown to the Guild Master's room. The fact that he wasn't putting on his usual show of importance told me just how anxious they were on their end.

Waiting in the room were the Guild Master and his granddaughter, Frieda.

"Do you know anything about Rosemaryne?"

"I'll ask you directly. Information about Rosemaryne should be suppressed. Where did it leak from? Depending on the answer, you could be crushed by the nobles."

"So you do know what's going on after all," Frieda said, narrowing her eyes.

"My contracted noble's younger brother served as the bodyguard for a blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice."

Frieda went on to explain her own situation and what had happened when she visited to trade Magical Tools. The knight who'd been carried in unconscious had leaped to his feet when light dust burst into the room, shouting "Is the Shrine Maiden Apprentice safe?!" and rushing out. Since the only Shrine Maiden Apprentice was Mine, she had checked the Contract Magic contract to investigate his status—and found it had been changed.

Frieda must have been talking about the guard who'd been assigned to Mine. I never would have guessed there was a connection there.

"Benno, tell us what you know."

For a moment I considered how to hide the information, but the old man and his granddaughter already knew a great deal about Mine. It might actually be easier in the long run if I told them enough to make them bound hand and foot to Rosemaryne and the Lord.

"I'll tell you, but you'll have to cooperate with me fully going forward."

"Oh? Me, cooperate with you?"

The Guild Master raised his eyebrows in a way that almost seemed amused, but I could spot a trace of panic in his eyes. No matter how much influence the Guild Master had in the lower town, no matter how wealthy he was, he was completely powerless if a noble set his sights on him.

The information the Guild Master had about Rosemaryne was mostly speculation. Without proper intelligence, there was no telling what kind of mess he'd get caught up in or where. He needed this information no matter what.

"That's right. You'll follow my lead whether you like it or not."

"Are you asking me to hand over my position as Guild Master?"

"Don't be ridiculous! As if I'd want more work on top of what I've already got! I'm telling you to provide every possible convenience!"

With work about to spread across the entire territory, there was no way I could simultaneously hold down the position of town Guild Master too. I was busy enough to die.

"Provide every convenience, you say... It seems some quite high-ranking nobles are involved. ...Very well."

After a prolonged staredown, the Guild Master nodded.

I told the Guild Master and Frieda about Mine's death and the cover-up—that Rosemaryne was now the adopted daughter of the Lord as a high-ranking noble's daughter, and that the Lord himself would be driving book-making forward as a territorial industry.

"This is terrifying."

"Becoming the Lord's adopted daughter is far beyond anything we could have predicted."

As the Lord's adopted daughter, Rosemaryne was now treated as the daughter of a high-ranking noble. She was not someone you could afford to treat lightly. The Guild Master, who dealt with many nobles, understood that better than anyone.

"If the printing business becomes a territorial industry, the full cooperation of the commercial guild will be necessary. You understand the danger of objecting to a Lord-driven initiative?"

"Hmm..."

The Guild Master furrowed his brow, pondering how to extract some profit from this. I tossed in my bait.

"Would you mind taking care of our cook for a while? Before the Lord and the high-ranking nobles visit the restaurant, I want him trained up on noble cuisine."

Since real nobles would actually be coming, it wasn't enough to rely solely on Mine's recipes—we needed noble recipes too. And by involving the Guild Master, I could reduce both the backlash against us and my own workload.

"...What do we get in return?"

"How about making you a co-investor in the Italian restaurant?"

Frieda's eyes gleamed as she latched on before the Guild Master could even respond.

Benno is swamped. He and the Chief Priest have managed to understand each other a bit.

And now, after bringing the Guild Master and Frieda under control, Benno has pulled off a coup(?).

Next time: the Part 3 Prologue, from Karstedt's perspective.