I advised that they should first understand what old techniques looked like before choosing something new, and Brünhilde began asking Richalda detailed questions about past outfits with great enthusiasm.
Watching the two of them, who shared a deep interest in clothing and accessories, become animated over the matter was quite heartwarming, when
"Lady
Since I had already informed the Chief Priest and the retainers via my ordundance about the date and time I would return to the castle, a meeting had been arranged for when I would have had a chance to rest. I already knew this from the ordundance exchanges, but it seemed a formal invitation had also been delivered to my room.
It was a tea party whose main purpose was discussion ahead of the lord's conference. Since the entire lord's family would be present, and topics would include the printing industry and the development of the lower city, Mother had apparently been invited as well.
"I can understand why Viscount
Normally, apprentices were supposed to begin their work only after enrolling in the Noble Academy. After completing their
Charlotte had already been designated as a lord candidate, and since she herself wished to work together with us, she was involved in the printing industry this time as well.
"Charlotte has been working very hard, so she must attend the meeting. If she were the only one left in the dark about the situation, it would be quite troubling for her retainers, wouldn't it?"
"Lady Rozemyne, you and Lady Charlotte both seem to prioritize your work over your bride training, and I must say that worries me a little."
Ottilie placed a hand against her cheek and let out a soft, troubled sigh. Charlotte, as a lord candidate, was apparently working desperately to keep up with me and Wilfried. However, with my engagement to Wilfried, the next lord was essentially already decided. Charlotte's attendants and Ottilie had apparently been discussing how they wished Charlotte would also take her bride training seriously.
Of course, the thing I cared most about was reading. I was willing to do my absolute best to expand the printing industry so that I could enjoy reading without a care in the world, but I simply could not bring myself to take bride training seriously.
...I'm sorry, Ottilie. I'm honestly better off being busy with work than with bride training.
"Lady Rozemyne, shall we head to the conference room soon?"
Lieselota called out to me, having finished getting ready to accompany me.
The attendants accompanying me today were Richalda and Lieselota, and the three knights were my brother
"I never imagined that I, a lower-ranking noble, would be attending a meeting where the entire lord's family gathers. I'm terribly nervous."
"Even for an upper-ranking noble, the nerves are the same. This is the first time for me as well, attending a meeting where the whole family is assembled."
Philine's hands trembled as she clutched her documents. Hartmut's face was slightly stiff as well. Lieselota smiled gently, her features strikingly similar to
"I am also quite nervous, but all we need to do is faithfully carry out our duties. What is expected of us is to complete our work reliably."
...I used to think the only thing Lieselota and Angelica had in common was their faces, but it seems their attitudes toward work are similar as well.
There was a difference between what attendants and knights were responsible for, but the attitude of thoroughly fulfilling one's duties was remarkably alike. Angelica had completely written off any work involving the use of her head as not being her responsibility, yet when it came to matters of guarding, she was more earnest and enthusiastic than anyone.
Richalda, whom Richalda was investing great effort into educating, was extraordinarily attentive and considerate. She seemed plain and unassuming at first glance, making her difficult to read, but everything you needed was always exactly where it needed to be.
Only one knight was permitted to enter the conference room, so Cornelius went inside while Leonore and Eudiet waited in a separate room. A large group had already gathered in the conference room.
The lord and his wife sat in the seats of highest honor, with Grandfather
Additionally, Mother, the upper ranks of the civil officials, and the upper ranks of the knight's order were present and seated at the discussion table.
"Ah, Rozemyne. The religious ceremony seems to have concluded without incident."
My adoptive father beckoned me over with a "come here," and I went with Cornelius. The civil officials and attendants each had their own tasks to attend to.
Seeing my adoptive father up close for the first time in a while, he looked quite exhausted. There were shadows under his eyes, and his smile lacked some of its usual strength. No, perhaps I should say he looked composed. The atmosphere he gave off—previously reminiscent of an elementary school boy—now resembled that of a middle manager squeezed from both ends and struggling under pressure.
"Adoptive father, you seem quite fatigued..."
"The moment I decided to have you and Wilfried engaged, this was predictable. How did things go at the
"Everything was business as usual, aside from the religious ceremony. I practiced hymns and consecration dances, and assisted Lord
I reported that I had been able to relax a little this time, and my adoptive father frowned and muttered, "That doesn't sound like any rest at all. You're working too hard," while Mother smiled and said, "Rozemyne has been working so diligently. Surely you, Lord
"Thanks to you gathering all that information about the lower city, I should be able to get through the lord's conference without losing face. You've been a great help, Rozemyne."
My adoptive father gave me a light pat on the head by way of praise and told me to take my seat. It seemed that leaving me at the Temple had served not only as isolation but also as a way to give me some rest. While I was used to having my hair mussed vigorously, I was rarely given such a light pat, which left me with a rather strange feeling.
"Now then, let us begin an urgent discussion about the future of Ehrenfest."
With my adoptive father's declaration, the meeting commenced.
Ehrenfest, despite being a middle-ranked territory, had spent ages at the bottom, but its influence was now on the rise. The results of the children's room program during winter were showing, academic performance had improved, they had launched trends that held value even at the Noble Academy and had attracted attention during the inter-territory tournament, and it was anticipated that the Rozemyne-style Magic Power compression method would dramatically increase the Magic Power of the next generation of children—all of this was presented as evidence that the time had come for Ehrenfest to draw the attention of other territories.
"We have received trade proposals from various territories following the inter-territory tournament, and at the lord's conference, we will be negotiating transactions with the central government and
"Very well."
When Mother stood crisply to her feet, she held a set of documents in one hand and began explaining how Ehrenfest was decades behind other territories in terms of lower city development. It was something everyone already knew, but confirming it and establishing a shared understanding was important.
"Based on the information Lady Rozemyne sent regarding the lower city, Wilfried, Charlotte, and I investigated the matter and found that a lack of Magic Power had caused the development of the lower city to be put on hold. We must get the lower city into proper shape before the number of merchants trading at the lord's conference increases."
Once Mother finished her explanation, my adoptive father nodded and rose to his feet.
"If there is a way to remedy the lower city's miserable state, then we must do so. I conducted an inspection myself, and for us, the lower city was simply where the Commoners lived, so we thought it didn't matter if it was filthy. We believed it was impossible for Commoners who couldn't use Magical Tools. But other territories are not like that. Apparently, the lower city where Commoners live has a streetscape comparable to the Noble District."
Most nobles living in the Noble District seldom descended into the lower city. Merchants were summoned when needed, and wherever one had to go, riding beasts allowed you to fly right over the lower city. On the rare occasion when a carriage absolutely had to pass through, they would simply wait to be carried past while remarking, "What a dreadful place."
Hearing that the lower city in other territories was as beautiful as the Noble District made Ehrenfest's shortcomings painfully clear. The Guild Master's letter hadn't gone so far as to say it was exactly the same as the Noble District, but to persuade the stubborn civil officials, it would probably be better to exaggerate a little.
"We must make up for decades of neglect."
His deep green eyes glinting as he surveyed the room, my adoptive father made his declaration.
"Between the dedication ceremony and the lord's conference, we will carry out the Entwicken to develop the lower city. This is settled."
"The Entwicken for the lower city?"
"Do we have enough Magic Power?"
As murmurs of surprise rippled through the room, the lord and his wife exchanged a brief glance and nodded at each other. Entwicken? A flash of doubt darted through my mind, but I quickly realized it was the official name for the Dramatic Before-and-After.
It appeared the Dramatic Before-and-After had already been decided upon between the lord and his wife. After the dedication ceremony was completed, they intended to use all the Magic Power they had accumulated to carry out a large-scale Entwicken.
"I, the Aub Ehrenfest, command the lord's family! For the sake of Ehrenfest, devote your Magic Power!"
The first to move at my adoptive father's words was the Chief Priest. He crossed both arms before his chest in a gesture of submission. Grandfather followed suit, and I crossed my arms in the same manner. Wilfried and Charlotte, a beat behind, belatedly realized what was happening and crossed their arms as well.
Having obtained the consent of all members of the lord's family, my adoptive father slowly nodded.
Once the decision to carry out the Entwicken was made, the next step was to work out the detailed schedule.
"We must decide on the timing as soon as possible and inform the lower city as well."
"We will have to drive the Commoners out of the city first, I imagine."
The civil officials were discussing the procedures, but evacuating all the residents of the lower city would be no small task. Could everyone leave carrying furniture and food? Listening to the civil officials' words, I pictured my own family being forced out of the city with armfuls of belongings, and I frowned.
"When the Noble District was remodeled with the Entwicken, did everyone get evicted? Is there any documentation about what was done with furniture and such? ...Grandfather Bonifatius, if you remember what happened back then, could you tell us about it?"
When I asked, Grandfather eagerly recounted the events of that time. Apparently, since toilets and baths had to be installed inside every home, each household was required to submit blueprints, which were then used to create a master plan for the entire district before the Entwicken was carried out. The furniture had to be moved out into the garden areas, which had been quite a hassle.
"The lower city isn't just white buildings—people have been doing unauthorized additions as well. We'd have to figure out what to do with those additions too."
"...We don't have the resources to convert every unauthorized addition into a white building. These calculations only concern the renovation of the white building sections."
My adoptive father narrowed his eyes at the civil official's words. In other words, only the parts from the second floor of stone construction downward could be renovated, but altering the bottom would destabilize the top. In that case, the people living on the upper floors would lose their homes.
"If the unauthorized additions collapse, a massive number of people will be left without shelter. The white building sections have many shops and workshops, so more people live in the wooden structures. Moreover, many workshops are currently running to produce goods for the incoming merchants. If the workshops become unusable for an extended period, no goods will be produced. The damages would be far too great."
I thought it would look terrible for Ehrenfest if, just as merchants from other territories arrived, there was a flood of refugees on top of a shortage of goods.
The Chief Priest, who had been listening to my opinion, gave a slight shrug.
"Even using the Entwicken, there is no need to make the lower city exactly the same as the Noble District. Rather than installing a toilet and bath in every single building, if we adopt the same system as the Temple—establishing several designated places for disposing of waste—then there would be no need to alter the buildings at all, would there?"
...Oh. So that was how the Temple worked. I had no idea.
I had left everything related to daily life at the Temple to my attendants, so I had never once considered how waste was handled. Apparently, there were designated disposal sites, and the same slimy creatures found in the Noble District were there processing the waste.
"If we install sewers along the roads, create waste disposal sites, and arrange for waste to be collected and brought to those sites rather than thrown out of windows, we can develop the area without demolishing any buildings. If we don't have to modify the buildings, it would save a considerable amount of Magic Power as well."
However, to keep things clean, we would need to enforce thorough cleaning practices just as at the Temple and teach the Commoners not to scatter trash everywhere, the Chief Priest said with a troubled expression, turning to my adoptive father.
"The Temple is beautiful, so couldn't we just have them do the same?"
"If orphans can manage it, then surely the Commoners could if they were taught."
"They might be able to if taught, but the question is how to teach them."
Mother, who would also be responsible for matters concerning the lower city's development, sighed with a troubled expression.
Using the Entwicken to make things beautiful was easy—what mattered was the subsequent communication and enforcement regarding proper use.
"Why not ask Gustaf? He has considerable influence in the lower city, doesn't he?"
My adoptive father turned his gaze toward me. I was the person in this room most knowledgeable about the lower city's affairs, and I was also the one who would blow up with emotion if the lower city were treated carelessly. I understood that I was being asked to propose a plan that would be good for the lower city, and I groaned in thought.
"The northern part of the lower city is where the wealthy and large shops are concentrated, the western part is the Market, and the eastern part has many travelers, so if there's a directive from Guild Master Gustaf, I think it would work out fine."
If there were enforcement measures—such as violators losing their commercial registration, losing their permits to operate shops in the Market, or being fined one by one based on reports from those around them—everyone would presumably take it seriously.
"The problem is the south. Even though it's part of the lower city, the wealthy don't go there. It's full of artisans, so even though the commercial guild's Guild Master would issue the directive, it's unclear how much influence he actually has there, and whether a simple directive would be enough to ensure compliance."
How could we ensure that Artisan Way and the impoverished neighborhoods received consistent communication about the changes, proper instructions on usage, and enforcement against violators?
...Help me, Dad!
"Oh—what if we use the Soldiers?"
When I clapped my hands together with the idea, everyone's eyes turned to me at once. My adoptive father squinted, studying me with an appraising look.
"Soldiers, you say—the Commoners' gate guards?"
"Yes, that's right. The Soldiers who serve as my escort when I go to the Hase minor Temple have told me that Soldiers stationed at the Gates do patrols to maintain public order in addition to their gatekeeping duties. Also, most of the Soldiers' residences are in the southern part of the city, so if the Knight's Order were to relay the information to the Soldiers and instruct them to communicate the changes, ensure compliance, and enforce the rules, I believe they would take care of it."
Simply saying it once probably wouldn't change people's habits. Someone would need to remind them again and again and threaten them with the authority of a noble's directive. And the more accessible that person was, the more effective it would be.
"The Knight's Order also holds meetings with the Soldiers, doesn't it? Couldn't you announce the date and time of the Entwicken at one of those gatherings? I think the people would accept it more readily if the message came from someone familiar rather than having to stay cooped up in houses that don't benefit them."
"...Hmm. Not bad."
My adoptive father turned his gaze to the Knight's Order, and the knights nodded in acknowledgment. The civil officials would communicate through the commercial guild, and the Knight's Order would communicate through the Soldiers.
"Um, Aub Ehrenfest. If we've saved on Magic Power, could we also install pipes not only for waste disposal but also to draw clean water from the river?"
Both papermaking and dyeing required large amounts of water. For the industries we planned to develop going forward, we would need a great deal of water. Fortunately, there was a large river to the west, so I proposed the idea of channeling water from there.
"Ferdinand, what do you think of Rozemyne's suggestion? Is a Magical Tool for purifying river water feasible?"
"...When you consider the long-term usage, the Magic Power required would be far too great. Without improvements to the Magical Tool, it would be useless. However, if we anticipate needing river water in the future, wouldn't it be wise to at least lay the pipes now?"
Laying the pipes alone wouldn't be such a burden, the Chief Priest said.
My adoptive father nodded lightly and ordered the civil officials to recalculate the required Magic Power and to create new blueprints for the Entwicken.
"Additionally, we have received questions and requests from the commercial guild regarding the lord's conference. The question is how to distinguish between merchants from territories that have been granted permission to trade and those that haven't. Apparently, other territories have quite elaborate Magical Tools that even Commoners can use. However, given the time before the merchants from other territories arrive, creating something like that now would be difficult. Is there any simple yet effective method?"
For merchant identification, the best my limited mind could come up with was something akin to chartered trade. I suggested that we could issue what were essentially charter certificates.
"...It's not a bad idea, but it would be better if it were something unique to Ehrenfest, or at least something difficult for others to imitate."
"In that case, what if we used Nansere paper for those charter certificates of yours?"
The Chief Priest slowly raised his face and explained to everyone about the Nansere paper that had been newly developed in Ilgner. The civil officials, who knew of Plant Paper's existence but had not known about paper made from magic trees, stared in astonishment.
"We could dye each paper in the respective territory's color, keep half at the commercial guild, and give the other half to the trading partners. That way, anyone could immediately tell which territory's merchant it was. To prevent the paper from being moved around freely, we could have the merchants carry it in leather pouches that block Magic Power and explain the system to the trading partners—wouldn't that work?"
Since the certificates would need to be cut and distributed, the portions given to merchants would necessarily be smaller than the half retained by the commercial guild. The Chief Priest added that by specifying the size of the paper given to merchants, there would be no risk of the merchant population growing beyond control.
...That's not really a charter certificate—it's more like a tally counter. Well, close enough.
"It would be a fitting method of identification for Ehrenfest, which wishes to start selling Plant Paper going forward. Wouldn't you agree?"
When Mother smiled brightly, my adoptive father decided to use the Nansere paper.
"Very well. Purchase the Nansere paper from Ilgner and prepare it for the lord's conference."
"Father—no, Aub Ehrenfest. Rather than just the Nansere paper, I think we should also purchase Plant Paper so that the civil officials can use it during the lord's conference."
Wilfried spoke up while looking around at everyone in the conference room. His voice was slightly strained, and the stiffness of his expression made it clear how nervous he was to be making a statement.
"In the Noble Academy, Rozemyne used a great deal of Plant Paper for transcriptions and memoranda. I have heard that this interested people from other territories. What if we also used Plant Paper at the lord's conference?"
No one had expected Wilfried to speak up, and the room fell silent as everyone looked at him with expressions of mild surprise. Receiving all those stares, Wilfried took a small breath and pressed his lips tightly together.
For a few seconds the conference room was perfectly still, then a quiet "Hmm" escaped someone's lips. All eyes shifted in that direction.
"Having the civil officials carry paper at the lord's conference would be somewhat expensive, but compared to wooden tablets, it would drastically reduce the volume of luggage and be easier to write on. It would also serve as excellent trend-setting for other territories. There is room for consideration."
The Chief Priest endorsed Wilfried's idea. Wilfried, whose face had been stiff with tension, relaxed his expression slightly, clearly relieved that his suggestion had been accepted.
"I see. As Ehrenfest aims to promote Plant Paper, we must use it ourselves. Let us give it consideration."
"At the same time, just as Rozemyne did at the Noble Academy, I would suggest that those attending the lord's conference use linshan, and the women wear hair ornaments. They are very eye-catching."
"You've learned quite a lot of things at the Noble Academy, haven't you, Wilfried?"
Mother smiled and accepted Wilfried's suggestion.
There were numerous other minor topics discussed at the meeting, including agreements on recipes that could be shared at the lord's conference banquets, selling the quatre-quarts recipe to trading partners with whom direct exchange was not possible, and the extent to which trading partners could be expanded next year, before the meeting came to a close.