"I was at my breaking point, you know. I leaned on
"Don't overdo it. You'll collapse."
Lutz scrunched up his face and gave my forehead a light smack.
I still couldn't take off the Magical Tool, but the number of times I blacked out had definitely gone down. I puffed out my chest.
"I've gotten a little sturdier, so I probably won't collapse. Eventually."
"What kind of half-reassuring nonsense is that!?"
"I'm still recovering, that's all—I'm not fully healed yet, but I'm fine. How about Turi? Is Turi okay? I ended up dumping a huge amount of work on her."
Both
"There's no way I can handle all this in one go, are you crazy!? That's what she said."
"Ooh, sorry, Turi."
"And then she said, 'This is a rare opportunity, so I'm definitely going to make something amazing—just you wait.'"
Even though she huffed about it, I could picture Turi working away with care, and my cheeks softened.
…My Turi really is an angel!
"Lutz, Lutz. Tell Turi for me that I love her!"
"No way."
"Why!?"
The instant refusal made me blink, and Lutz made a terribly pained face.
"While I've been going to the orphanage to learn manners, everyone around me has started thinking Turi and I are dating. There's no way I'm delivering that kind of message in that situation."
"What, Lutz? You got a problem with our Turi? You should be flattered by the rumor. I mean, she's Turi!"
When I pouted my lips, Lutz furrowed his brow and shook his head.
"Hard pass. I don't need that kind of jealousy pointed my way."
"Jealousy? So Turi really is in demand? That's my girl! She must be gorgeous by now. I wanna see her so bad."
I still hadn't seen Turi's face—or any of my family's faces—since waking up.
"You'll see her when the hair ornaments are done, right? Turi said she wanted to hand them to you in person and get your opinion. And Camill wants another toy."
"I absolutely have to make that! What kind of toy would be good? We probably need a new picture book too. If he's about ready to start learning letters, maybe a set of karuta cards? Should I order wooden boards from
As I was thinking about toys a four-year-old might enjoy, Lutz's face twitched.
"…Uh oh. Did we maybe mess up? Hey, your priority should be papermaking and printing first, not toys. Don't get the order of importance wrong."
"Aww, can't Camill come first?"
"Of course not!"
"Yeah, I know. I was just saying. …Back-and-forth like this is nice, isn't it? It's comforting."
I grinned, and the magic stone on the hidden room's door glowed, signaling someone on the other side wanting to get in. Knocking wouldn't carry through because the sound was completely blocked, so the magic stone was there to alert us to visitors.
Once I confirmed I'd moved away from Lutz and straightened my appearance,
"Lady
…Huh? Why?
Seeing me involuntarily tilt my head, Fran awkwardly lowered his gaze slightly.
"The High Priest's letter instructed that in an emergency, the Plantan Company should be summoned. So rather than Lutz, I called upon the Plantan Company. I apologize."
"…I see. It's not Fran's fault, so please don't worry about it."
I gently gestured for Fran to step back, then looked up at Benno and Mark, who had come looking alarmed at the news of an emergency.
"What the heck is the emergency about!?"
The moment the door closed, Benno fired the question at me with such force I practically ducked behind Lutz. I answered honestly: "My Contract Magic had worn off and I was anxious, then I had a bad dream, so I wanted to see Lutz."
"You… you idiot!"
"Gyah! Ouch, ouch!"
Benno yanked me out from behind Lutz with his eyes blazing, then ground his knuckle into my head at high speed. Naturally, there was no sign he was going to stop, and nobody was going to intervene for me either.
"The day after the meeting at the castle, you call an emergency! And when I rush over, it turns out you had a bad dream!? That's not an emergency!"
"I was a total mess, emotionally! My Magic Power was about to go out of control, so the High Priest reported it as an emergency too!"
"Oh yeah, now that you mention it, her eyes did look a little weird when I got here."
Hearing Lutz's words, Benno stopped grinding his fist into my head. Then he peered at my face, pinched my cheek, and let out an exhausted sigh.
"…You've calmed down now? Then I'm heading home."
"Please wait. Let's talk a bit. I dragged you out here at the crack of dawn—I can't just take what I need and send you packing."
I gave a rough summary of the meeting held in my adoptive father's office after Benno and the others had left. When I reported that I'd secured the rights for civil servant training so the
"Did I work hard? Did I help? Praise me. Come on!"
The moment I puffed out my chest with a smug grin, Benno scowled and flicked me right on the forehead.
"Owch! …Why!?"
"Because I figured if I praised you, you'd get cocky and go off the rails."
"No way! When you're angry, you grind my head with your fist—so when you're being nice, you should actually be nice! How is working hard to get smacked around not weird!?"
"Yeah, yeah, got it, got it."
With all the enthusiasm of a monotone voice actor, Benno rubbed the spot where he'd flicked me, pressing a little harder than before. It stung quite a bit.
I puffed out my cheeks and complained, "You're so cruel, Benno!" but Lutz lightly exhaled and shrugged.
"You're complaining to the boss, but your face is all smiley. You're just happy because you can't have these kinds of exchanges with nobles, aren't you?"
Lutz pointed it out with a grin, and I was struck speechless. He was right. I missed this kind of banter, and it made me happy. While I was grinning like an idiot, Benno and Mark shook their heads in exasperation.
"So, about the civil servants—how exactly are you planning to train them?"
"They need to be someone who can at least hold a conversation with commoners, but I barely know any nobles I could trust with work. Do either of you know anyone who might fit?"
When I asked, Benno and Lutz said in unison, "Why not use Eustachius?" Eustachius worked fast, and unlike the upper-class nobles of
"That would be great, but Eustachius is the High Priest's civil servant, and I was told he can't be loaned out."
I regretted not getting permission from the High Priest. As I considered asking again, Mark raised his hand lightly and spoke.
"The Guild Master knows many more nobles, so it would be easier for them to identify nobles who are agreeable to work with and don't have poor people skills. And a recommendation from the rapidly growing Plantan Company might rub people the wrong way."
So you're just passing the hassle off to the Guild Master, Benno said with a wry smile. Mark smoothly deflected with his usual grin: "Right person for the right job."
"Well then, could you ask the Guild Master to pull together some candidates? I'll request that my adoptive father let me rotate a few of them through. Oh, and this is a suggestion from my mother—if the candidate is a landowner's deputy, they'd understand commoners' lives and would study hard to make their own territory flourish. How was Haldenzel? Were there any nobles who seemed like they could hold a conversation?"
I'd never been to Haldenzel myself, but Lutz and Benno had been working there alongside the Gutenberg team. How had the deputies fared as civil servants?
"…We only met Georg Haldenzel with the boss and Damjan. The rest of us were shown around the town by his subordinates. I'm not sure if that person was a civil servant, but unlike here, there was a decent amount of interaction between nobles and commoners."
"If they were a deputy of middle or even lower nobility rather than upper-class… it might be doable…"
Ilkgner apparently didn't have enough nobles who could serve as deputies, so Georg Ilkgner himself had entered the papermaking workshop to check on progress. In Ilkgner, we'd been given a lot of freedom to work as we pleased, but Haldenzel hadn't been like that.
"Haldenzel is an extremely cold land where people can barely survive if the Blessing drops even a little, so everyone huddles close together to get by. They're wary of outsiders—or rather, they don't easily take your suggestions. Once they accept you, though, things move fast."
It had apparently taken a long time to get them to accept new work methods and new approaches. That was a matter of local character, but they'd been troubled by how slow things were progressing.
"…In the spring, they'll probably build a papermaking workshop in Haldenzel too, but…"
Lutz said this while crossing his arms and humming to himself.
"What's up?"
"Haldenzel has fewer trees compared to Ilkgner. We weren't sure if they even had the right kind of trees for papermaking. Right now it's far from both Ehrenfest and Ilkgner, so buying paper would be expensive, but if a few papermaking workshops opened north of Ehrenfest, it might be better to buy from them. And ideally, build the workshop as far south in Haldenzel as possible."
"Hmm. I'll bring it up with Georg Haldenzel next time."
"You bringing it up is more likely to get a response than us. I'm counting on you."
"Got it. Also, Benno, about the Gutenberg team's stay period…"
After talking about the printing industry, family, and all sorts of things that were important and not-so-important alike, I parted from Lutz and the others with a smile and returned to the High Priest's chambers feeling much lighter.
The three of me who'd received information from me shrugged and said, "We'll let it slide since it wasn't a completely wasted trip," before heading back to the Plantan Company.
"The High Priest instructed that you show your face to him starting this afternoon."
The moment I returned to the High Priest's chambers, Zom told me this. The High Priest must be worried about Lady Rozemyne too, he added, and I looked at the leather pouch I'd been given. Perhaps I should convert all the magic stones inside into gold dust as a gesture of gratitude.
"I'm relieved to see your complexion has returned, Lady Rozemyne."
"Sorry for making you worry."
Monica said this as she began preparing lunch. I'd apparently chatted with Lutz and the others even longer than I'd realized.
After lunch, it was time for the High Priest's room. I'd thrown his schedule into chaos first thing in the morning and ended up having to return to the temple, so he might be angry. Trembling slightly, I made my way to the High Priest's room.
He was still etching deep furrows into his brow when he glanced over at me, and I immediately apologized.
"High Priest, I'm truly sorry for all the trouble I caused."
"You have no idea. …But it seems you've calmed down."
"Thanks to you, all my anxiety is gone, and my energy has been fully replenished."
"Was it useful after all?"
When the High Priest pointed at the leather pouch in my hand, I thanked him and returned it.
"I'm most grateful. I'm impressed by your thoroughness."
"…I'm glad it was enough. Even so, how much had you bottled up? It's a good thing it didn't explode at the castle, but you need to learn to manage without relying on the Plantan Company."
The High Priest peered inside the pouch and winced.
"Now that I've got my energy back, I'm going to work hard to spread books!"
"You tend to go overboard when you're motivated. Learn to operate within established boundaries."
"…Guu. Then please tell me what the boundaries are."
It was decided that I would continue in the High Priest's room, holding a meeting to prepare for the audience with Georg Haldenzel.
Since the Contract Magic had been dissolved, the permission to open the papermaking workshop would now come from the Aub of Ehrenfest. This time, apparently, the main purpose was a meet-and-greet.
What I needed to discuss with Georg Haldenzel was the timeframe for sending the Gutenberg team to Haldenzel—when they would go and when they would return. I also reported to the High Priest what had been decided in my earlier conversation with Benno.
After finishing my meeting with the High Priest, I returned to the castle in the evening because I'd left
It was decided that the audience with Georg Haldenzel would take place two days later in the afternoon, and I was summoned by the High Priest, my guardian, to head together to the meeting room.
The room used for audiences with upper-class nobles was slightly more lavish than the rooms I'd used for previous meetings. The tapestries were richly colored, and the furniture looked like well-aged, quality pieces. Inside the room, Georg Haldenzel and his wife, along with my mother, were waiting.
Once the High Priest and I took our seats, Georg Haldenzel and his wife approached to pay their respects.
"Please allow us to offer our blessings for the rare and precious meeting ordained through the strict selection of the Life God, Edviri."
"You have my permission."
…My mother and Georg Haldenzel really do look alike.
Their deep-green hair color and black eyes seemed quite similar. He wore a pleasant-looking smile, but his gaze was sharp—I could tell he was carefully observing me. Despite kneeling in greeting, he somehow had an overpowering presence, the air of someone who clearly stood above and led others. You could tell at a glance he was the real deal.
"We are finally able to formally greet you, Lady Rozemyne. We have long wished to express our gratitude."
Georg Haldenzel and his wife had come to
"…You're thanking me, but I'm not sure what I've done?"
"Yes. Ever since you began serving as the High Priest—or rather, as the Blue Shrine Maiden—your work at the temple has made life in Haldenzel considerably easier."
Small Holy Cups packed with Magic Power began arriving, and with the overall production output of Ehrenfest increasing, taxes had eased somewhat. That small amount, they said, was huge for Haldenzel.
From my studies of Ehrenfest's geography, I'd learned that Haldenzel was a frigid land where rivers froze, and the people survived by clinging close together. The territory itself was vast, but the population was concentrated in the south, while the north was nearly deserted. And above all, the greatest hardship was the high probability of the Lord of Winter appearing.
"Reports have also come from the knights who went to subdue the Lord of Winter that your Blessing has been a great help, Lady Rozemyne."
"The flag's color has returned as well, hasn't it?"
Georg Haldenzel's wife deepened her smile with her gentle expression. In this context, the flag's color returning meant they had halted the leadership's gradual shift toward
"Furthermore, since Haldenzel has such long winters, many people have been helped by the ability to begin the printing business."
From there, I received a report on the Gutenberg team's activities as seen from Haldenzel.
They had brought parts into the workshop that had been prepared for use as a printing workshop, assembled the printing press, and demonstrated printing—but there were almost no commoners who could read letters. Lutz and the gray priests had assembled the metal type and taught the method, but the people of Haldenzel had been so slow even at aligning the type patterns that it took an extraordinary amount of time.
"We were astonished that all of Ehrenfest's craftsmen can read. This winter, they will be fully occupied mastering the techniques taught by Gutenberg, but in the future, we will need to have them learn to read. It's a problem when they can't even notice that the type is upside down."
"At my orphanage, we used karuta cards and picture books, and everyone learned through play. If learning quickly is difficult, it might be fine to have the junior civil servants or apprentice civil servants handle proofreading for a while."
Since the books were sold to nobles, ensuring there were no errors in the text was the top priority at the
"I've heard that the Gutenberg craftsmen you trained, despite being young, have an outstanding reputation among the craftsmen."
The ink workshop had been taught how to make ink, and the woodworking workshop had been taught how to make the wooden parts of the printing press. With their stay spanning from spring to autumn, they could manage ink and woodworking, and with civil servants assigned for proofreading, printing was feasible.
However, the blacksmith workshop lacked the skill, and Johan had not given his approval for the metal type and various parts. To print anything, they would need to be able to make metal type. The type wore down and chipped surprisingly often during use.
"Reports say the blacksmiths have united in determination to earn Gutenberg's approval by spring."
"The reports I received from the Gutenberg team indicated they weren't sure if they'd been properly accepted in Haldenzel, but it seems that wasn't the case after all. That's a relief."
I shared the reports and proposals from the Gutenberg team.
I'd heard that in Haldenzel, the initial wariness toward the Gutenberg team sent from Ehrenfest had been intense. People had listened with difficult expressions but offered very little reaction.
"Haldenzel rarely sees outsiders, and new things don't often enter people's lives, so the craftsmen probably had their reservations as well. However, the people there are very tightly bonded among themselves, and once they accept something, they protect it fiercely—that is the character of this land. Once the people of Haldenzel understood the blessings that printing technology would bring, they will never forget the debt they owe Lady Rozemyne, nor the printing techniques. We would like to review any proposals from the Gutenberg team in Haldenzel before giving our answers."
"Since we are building workshops and launching new ventures, please carefully consider what is best for Haldenzel. …Even so, it's quite interesting how much varies within Ehrenfest depending on the region."
It seemed like a very different atmosphere from Ilkgner. I'd traveled around all of Ehrenfest during the Dedication Festival, but just briefly stepping onto the festival stage to give a Blessing wasn't enough to pick up on the differences.
"In the spring, we hear that you, Lady Rozemyne, will visit Haldenzel alongside the Gutenberg team. At that time, you will see for yourself—the people of Haldenzel, who take pride in their endurance even in harsh conditions."
His pride in his people was evident in Georg Haldenzel's smile, and I found myself smiling in return. They must really care about their land, I thought. I could see a Georg who tried to protect his people from harsh conditions, and a people united strongly around their leader.
"I very much look forward to visiting Haldenzel as well."
"Georg Haldenzel. The Gutenberg team can be dispatched to Haldenzel from the Spring Dedication Festival through the end of summer."
When the High Priest spoke, Georg Haldenzel narrowed his eyes as if probing the meaning behind the words. The High Priest explained that printing workshops would be rolled out across all of Ehrenfest, and that the Gutenberg team needed time to prepare for that.
"There are multiple territories waiting for Gutenberg teams. Consider this a special arrangement for Haldenzel."
"I see."
Georg Haldenzel closed his eyes lightly, as if turning thoughts over in his mind. Then, after a brief silence, he slowly opened them and fixed me with a gaze from his jet-black eyes that strongly resembled my mother's.
"Lady Rozemyne, I am deeply comforted by your presence in Ehrenfest's upper echelons. As
"…Well, actually, I've been told by
It sounded like I was being asked to show favoritism toward my own kin, and I looked to the High Priest and my mother in confusion. But both of them were simply waiting in silence for Georg Haldenzel to continue.
When I looked back at him, Georg Haldenzel slowly let out a breath, as if to say that wasn't what he meant, and his jet-black eyes glinted.
"You have proven capable of creating so many new things. At the
His comment about being in the upper echelons of Ehrenfest wasn't about showing favoritism to family—it was about not leaving for another territory. Once again, I'd misinterpreted his words.
I let out a quiet breath.
When told to think of my family, the first faces that came to mind were those of my commoner family. The thin, fragile threads that connected me—the hair ornament exchanges forbidden under the Contract Magic, the guards accompanying me to Hadesse—existed only because I was in Ehrenfest. As long as my family was here, I had no intention of leaving Ehrenfest.
"…My family is in Ehrenfest. So unless the Aub of Ehrenfest orders otherwise, this is where I'll always return."
When I made that declaration, Georg Haldenzel's expression softened with a gentle exhale of relief.
At the same time, I caught sight of the High Priest's brow furrowing deeply from the corner of my eye.