The next day, I arrived at the Central Plaza before the third bell rang and waited for Frieda together with
"What should we do, Lutz?"
"She'll be the one to call out to us, right?"
"...Will she be able to tell who we are?"
"Of course she will.
Lutz shrugged, pointing at the commercial guild building facing the Central Plaza.
That was true enough. It did seem like it would be easy to recognize us.
"Hey, Lutz. How did it go yesterday? My family was..."
Yesterday, Lutz and I sold paper to
Everyone at home had their eyes wide when I told them the story of making paper together with Lutz. They praised me, saying things like "That's amazing" and "You really worked hard."
And the very first pay I handed over was incorporated into our living expenses, and we ended up buying a bit more honey than usual—a luxury item for our Winter Preparations.
"How about you, Lutz? Do you think your family will let you become a merchant?"
Lutz had been recognized by Benno as an apprentice thanks to creating paper with me. But how had his family reacted? Were they able to acknowledge his passion?
Lutz made a bitter face and shrugged.
"...It's touch and go. They were happy that I earned money, but becoming a merchant is still off the table. My old man, when I told him I made paper with Myne and sold it, said I should become a papermaking artisan. He's fine with artisan work."
"Your dad really wants you to be an artisan, huh?"
I understood the pride in being a craftsperson who makes things with their own hands, but since it wasn't what Lutz wanted, finding common ground was going to be difficult.
"But I don't want to be an artisan. I want to do the kind of business where I can leave this town, just like Benno. And you don't just want to make paper forever either, right, Myne?"
"Yeah. Once I can mass-produce paper, I want to hand off the papermaking to someone else and focus on making books. If there aren't more books, we can't open a bookstore, and a library is still a dream within a dream."
To increase the number of books, just being able to mass-produce paper wasn't enough. Printing technology would be absolutely necessary. It wouldn't cut it to be pleased with something that was nothing more than a few memo sheets stacked together.
...There's still a long way to go.
"If I'm going to open a bookstore together with you, then that's fine with me. Hey, yesterday, I saw the bookshelves in the commercial guild building, and I was thinking—only rich people who can read would want books, right?"
"Well, yeah."
In this town, where the commoners can't read as a matter of course, there was no way they would want books. "Books? What's that? Is it delicious?"—you'd probably get that reaction regularly.
"Well then, for a bookstore, couldn't we sell to the nobility in various towns? Like, the neighboring lord we saw on the map, for example."
If we considered the customer base of people who would actually buy books, that did seem like it could work.
As I silently looked down at the map, impressed by how clearly Lutz was shaping his own ambitions, small footsteps stopped in front of me.
"Are you Myne?"
"Huh!? Ah, yes! That's right. Are you Frieda?"
"That's right. Nice to meet you."
Frieda smiled brightly. She had twin tails of cherry-blossom-pink hair that looked soft and fluffy, and gentle brown eyes that smiled warmly. She was a lovely and adorable little girl.
You could say she was well-raised, or that she'd been strictly disciplined—her gestures and speech were remarkably mature for her age, yet she was shorter than average and looked younger than she actually was. Not that I could talk, but she gave off an impression of being disproportionate.
However, no matter how you looked at it, she didn't resemble the Guild Master at all. The rumors about her looking like him were just rumors, apparently. Benno's worries had been for nothing.
"You're Myne's companion? It would've been nicer if it were just a girl..."
Frieda puffed out her cheeks slightly when she saw Lutz.
A girls-only outing did sound appealing, but that kind of thing only worked between close friends you could be relaxed around. Today's destination was the Guild Master's house. There was no way I could go alone.
I took Lutz's hand—he was making an irritated face at Frieda's comment—and smiled brightly.
"I don't have much stamina and I collapse often, so I can't go outside without Lutz. Benno won't even let me into his shop unless Lutz is with me, so if Lutz can't come, then..."
Before I could finish saying "we'll have to leave," Frieda cut in.
"You collapse so often that it's dangerous unless someone's watching you... Myne, could it be that you have Self-Eating?"
"Huh? ...Self-Eating?"
I tilted my head involuntarily at the unfamiliar term. Frieda gently touched her own cheek and tilted her head in the opposite direction.
"You don't know what that means? ...Let me see—there's something hot inside your body, and sometimes it moves on its own without your will?"
"Yes! You know about this illness!?"
Information about a disease that no one else knew about had come from an unexpected source. When Lutz and I leaned forward eagerly waiting for the answer, Frieda smiled with a hint of awkwardness.
"...I had it too. That's why I'm still this small, you know?"
Apparently my small stature, my failure to grow, and my tendency to collapse from minor things were all because of this Self-Eating illness. I compared my own body—often mistaken for being two or three years younger than I actually was—to Frieda's, who was also a bit small for her age, and had a moment of realization.
"How do you cure it!?"
Frieda's words earlier had been in past tense. Which meant she had been cured. After exchanging a glance with Lutz, I pressed Frieda for answers desperately.
Frieda looked apologetic, her eyebrows drooping as she sighed softly and murmured.
"...It costs a lot of money."
"Ugh, that's hopeless..."
The granddaughter of a wealthy merchant family where the grandfather was the Guild Master herself was saying it costs "a lot of money." For our family's financial resources, that was completely hopeless.
I slumped my shoulders in defeat, and Frieda gently patted them.
"But you look quite healthy. As long as you're putting your full effort toward something you want to do or a goal, you'll be fine. The catch is that when your heart breaks or you lose sight of your goal, the backlash will hit you, so be careful."
I see. Maybe the reason I'd been feeling so well lately was because I'd set a goal of going to the forest, or because I was actively working toward making paper. I had nearly died when I gave up on the wooden tablet.
Hm? Wasn't that like those migratory fish that would die if they stopped swimming?
Groaning to myself, I organized the new information in my head for the first time.
My illness was called Self-Eating. Today was the first time I'd learned its name. And I'd obtained one piece of advice on how to deal with it. To stay healthy, I had no choice but to keep moving toward my goals.
"If you've understood, shall we head to my home?"
"Yes."
The Guild Master's home that Frieda led us to was also a merchant's house.
It was quite large—larger than Benno's shop and closer to the City Wall. "Closer to the City Wall" didn't even begin to cover it. It felt like it was right next to the wall, in a prime location where the
"You know, I love watching the procession for the
If this was her home, then naturally she could see the procession entering the Temple perfectly well without even going outside.
"It was the first time I'd seen ornaments like that, so I asked my grandfather about them, but no information turned up, and it wasn't like they'd become popular at the autumn Baptism Ceremony either. It was so strange..."
"They're a bit labor-intensive, so they can't be made without a block of free time. Basically, they're a Winter Preparations craft project."
My mother did say so, I added mentally.
"Oh, is that so..."
"If they sell, starting from next spring, these ornaments should be worn by the girls at the Baptism Ceremony."
"Oh my! Then I'll be the only one wearing one at the winter Baptism Ceremony? How exciting!"
Seeing Frieda's face light up, I realized just how much of a premium the "special treatment of wearing it before anyone else at the winter Baptism Ceremony before it went on sale" that Benno had described actually carried.
If there was a premium attached, maybe it wouldn't count as price gouging? I hoped that was the case.
It turned out that the building where Frieda's home and shop were located was entirely rented out to employees, and no one outside the family lived there. We were led to the second-floor residence, and I was stunned.
There was a lot of fabric.
I'd noticed it at
But Frieda's home was covered wall to wall with tapestries and cushions, a flood of colors that was incredibly vibrant. And there were shelves decorated with stone animal figurines and metal statues. You could see at a glance that this was a very wealthy family with power close to that of the nobility.
"Miss, this way please."
After being led to the reception room, a servant woman brought us drinks.
Not the wooden cups I was used to—red liquid was being poured into metal cups.
"Ah, thank you. This is Korde juice with honey added that's been simmered down, then diluted with water. It's sweet and delicious."
The fruit called Korde apparently resembled raspberries quite closely, so it was probably something like raspberry juice. But when I took a sip, it was sweeter than I'd expected.
Sweets rarely entered my mouth, and I was acutely aware of my own face breaking into a wide grin.
"It's sweet! It's good, Lutz!"
"Really! Sweet and delicious!"
"I'm glad you like it. ...By the way, how did you end up coming to my house?"
Frieda tilted her head. What on earth had the Guild Master told her? I wasn't sure, but I figured it would be better to explain from my side as well.
"Actually, yesterday, the Guild Master requested that I make this ornament for Frieda's Baptism Ceremony."
I took out the hair ornament I'd brought as a sample—one of Turi's—from my tote bag. Frieda looked at it and nodded slightly.
"I know about that. But I thought Grandfather would just go ahead and choose on his own and have it made."
She was his granddaughter, all right. Spot on.
Grandfather had been planning to charge ahead, place the order without telling anyone, and surprise her.
"Well, those words did come up, but I thought it would make her happier if it were made to match her preferred colors and her outfit for the ceremony, so I asked if I could hear her preferences."
Frieda's hair color was cherry blossom pink—meaning, a pale pink. An ornament matched to the teal-blue of Turi's hair just wouldn't suit her.
A red-toned flower would work, or perhaps a clean, elegant design with a white flower and green leaves would suit her better.
"So, I thought it was considerate of Grandfather for once, but you were the one who stopped him, weren't you?"
"That's right. So, if it's alright, could you show me your outfit for the ceremony? I'd like to see the colors used in the embroidery too."
I'd tried to casually steer the conversation away from the Guild Master without making direct accusations, but Frieda saw right through it and giggled.
...Is this what it's like for kids who receive advanced education? Are they all this mature?
Her gestures and speech seemed more adult than mine. At the very least, she was a completely different kind of person from the kids I used to go to the forest with.
"Wait here a moment. I'll go bring my outfit."
When Frieda left the room, Lutz let out an exaggerated sigh. Maybe holding still had been tough for him, because he rolled his shoulders and shook his neck to get his body moving.
"Lutz, are you okay?"
"I can't really join in the conversation, you know. I don't know anything about what clothes go with what colors, and I can't talk with that kind of fancy speech."
Even I was unconsciously using polite language when talking with Frieda, and I was tense about not making any mistakes, so I nodded vigorously at Lutz's words.
"Mm. Once you start working, you should learn some fancy words too, but today I'll be the one asking about her preferences. I know it's hard to just sit there quietly, but I'd be scared alone, so stay with me, okay?"
"Sure."
Just having an ally there gave me courage.
Just as I was letting out a sigh of relief, Frieda returned.
"Thank you for waiting. Here's the outfit."
"Wow, it's beautiful!"
Frieda had brought the outfit she would wear at the Baptism Ceremony. The base was white, same as Turi's summer outfit, but the fabric thickness was different. Specifically, Frieda's outfit had fur-lined sections that looked incredibly warm.
I thought about my own winter outfit—layers upon layers of clothing, puffy and bulky—and groaned.
For the summer Baptism Ceremony, since the fabric was thin, sewing skill had mattered more than financial situation. But for the winter Baptism Ceremony, the difference in financial power would really start to show.
"Frieda, do you like this color?"
"Yes. That's why I had them embroider it with this."
I noticed red-toned embroidery in the white fabric and compared it to Frieda's hair. This would match both her hair and the dress well.
"Do you have any more thread in this same color?"
"I think so, but why?"
"It looks more cohesive when the flower ornaments match. Could I trouble you for a little bit? I'll try to find thread in the same shade."
"Sure, that's fine."
I'd get a small amount of thread for making the hair ornaments, then ask Benno to help me find more in the same color.
Since the hair ornament for Frieda was going to be priced at quite the rip-off rate by Benno, maybe I could justify being particular about the thread.
"Is this enough?"
Frieda returned holding another ball of thread, this one in a color that could work with the dress embroidery.
"It's more than enough, but..."
"Then, please take this."
A ball of deep red thread was placed in my hands before I could protest, and I was at a loss.
If I accepted the raw materials here too, it would only make the price gouging worse! What was I supposed to do!?
But there was no way I could say something like "Benno is charging so much, so I'll discount it by the material costs." Making the relationship between Benno and the already-complicated Guild Master even more tangled would be a problem.
Besides, in the back of my mind, I could hear Benno scolding me: "Money is something you take as much as possible, from wherever you can, whenever you can."
Groaning, I turned my attention to Frieda's hairstyle.
"What kind of hairstyle are you planning for the ceremony day?"
"The same as today?"
Frieda's hairstyle was twin tails, so I would need two matching ornaments.
Good thing I confirmed. And good thing I'd stopped the Guild Master from jumping the gun. If I'd made it the way he wanted, the ornaments wouldn't have matched well, and Frieda would have been stuck with only one hair ornament and in quite a bind.
"...If it's the same as today, then I need two ornaments, right?"
"...That's right."
Frieda's face went blank as if she'd only just realized this too.
As I relaxed slightly, thinking that making two would at least ease the price gouging a bit, Frieda placed a finger on her chin and adopted a slightly serious expression.
"Then I'll have to pay double, won't I?"
"No, since you've given me the thread for the materials as well, the original price is fine as it is."
With the material costs practically gone and then asking for double the rip-off price? I couldn't do that. My stomach hurt just thinking about it.
"But I can't do that. You promised to make them at that price, so I'll pay the proper amount for two."
"No way! You already gave me the materials—two at that price is..."
As Frieda and I devolved into an endless back-and-forth about who should pay what, Lutz—who had been silent this whole time—spoke up while scratching his head.
"Then why not make the second one half price?"
"Huh?"
"Myne got the materials, so she wants to give a discount. Frieda wants to pay for both so there's no trouble later between the Guild Master and Benno. So let's split the difference—half price for the second one."
"Lutz, you're a genius! Is that alright, Frieda?"
I jumped at the compromise Lutz proposed without a second thought.
When I spun around, Frieda had an oddly dissatisfied and bewildered expression on her face.
"I wouldn't mind, but...money is something you take as much as possible, from wherever you can, whenever you can, you know?"
Words that didn't match her lovely, adorable appearance at all came tumbling out. Frieda was definitely a merchant's daughter and the Guild Master's granddaughter, no mistake about it.
"...Is that some kind of merchant's wisdom? Benno said the same thing, I think..."
"Oh? That's just how business is, isn't it?"
Frieda tilted her head and said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I couldn't help but shake my head.
"There are limits, or rather, things have their proper price... Well, I'm glad we found a compromise."
"You really are an unusual pair, aren't you?"
Frieda chuckled softly. But it didn't seem like mockery—it looked like a genuinely friendly and natural smile.
We hadn't argued our way into friendship or anything that dramatic, but the barrier between us had come down a bit, and some strange sense of solidarity had emerged.
I couldn't really call it a business deal, but the details about the hair ornament were all settled.
I'd been about to take my leave, but when a refill of the Korde water was brought in, Lutz—who had been fully ready to leave—had his gaze fixed on it. I was also tempted by the sweet drink, and before I knew it, we had drifted into a bit of casual chat time.
"Yes, we gather nuts and collect firewood in the forest. It's like a daily picnic."
Collecting firewood was a matter of survival for us, so it was anything but a leisurely picnic. What I really wanted to know was about Frieda's life—the one where she didn't need to go gather firewood at all.
"What do you usually do, Frieda? The children around here don't go to the forest, right?"
"The thing I love most is... hehe."
After a deliberate pause, Frieda smiled brightly and opened her mouth.
"Counting money, perhaps?"
Huh? Was I hearing things? Was I imagining it? Had my ears malfunctioned?
It felt like an outrageous hobby had just come out of the mouth of an adorable little girl.
"Oh wait, that's not quite right. My apologies."
Flustered by the completely unexpected answer, Frieda shook her head adorably and corrected herself.
The relief that it had just been a slip of the tongue lasted only a brief moment.
"It's not just counting—I love saving money too. When I feel that satisfying weight in my bag, it makes me so happy, and the sound of coins clinking against each other is just wonderful, don't you think?"
"Y-Yes, I suppose so. I used to enjoy my piggy bank getting heavier too."
After somehow managing to squeeze out those words, I quietly closed my eyes.
...It wasn't an auditory hallucination. Who was it that brought up hobbies? Me! Me and my stupidity!
A hobby of counting money instead of something like baking sweets or embroidery—how befitting of a proper young lady... I really hadn't wanted to know that.
"Oh my! You understand my hobby?!"
Perhaps encouraged by my acknowledgment, Frieda began to talk at length about how much she loved money.
"Ever since I was young, I've loved the sparkle of gold coins the most. Going along with my grandfather once a month when he tallied the income and expenses, and counting gold coins—that was my greatest joy."
Copper coins and silver coins both completely skipped over, straight to gold coins. What a rich kid!
While I was stewing in my jealousy, Frieda's passionate monologue continued. Her eyes glistened dreamily, her cheeks flushed, and she spoke with tremendous enthusiasm about money calculations and business expansion.
"Lately, thinking about how to make this money grow, or discovering products that might sell—that makes my heart race too."
...What do I do about this? She's such a strange girl. She's cute, but it's such a waste.
"Hey, Myne."
"Yes, what is it?"
I'd been half spacing out, so I straightened up with a start. At almost the exact same moment, Frieda took my hand with sparkling eyes and squeezed it tightly.
"I've taken a great liking to you."
"Thank you...?"
I'd meant for that to come out more naturally, but the ending went up involuntarily. I had no idea what about me she'd taken a liking to.
When I tilted my head, Frieda leaned in close with a dazzlingly cute smile, her cheeks flushed, and said: "Would you come work with me?"
"No!"
Lutz's rejection came even faster than any response I could have given.
"Well, but my family's business is bigger than Benno's shop, and we've been in trade for a long time, so the conditions would be better, wouldn't they? Besides, you haven't completed the Baptism Ceremony and officially become an apprentice yet, so you could still become our apprentice. And besides, I'm asking Myne. I'm not asking you."
Wait, wasn't this the same development as yesterday...?
"I appreciate the offer, but I have a debt of gratitude to Benno that I can't even begin to repay, so..."
Before I could finish declining, Frieda smiled brightly and cut in.
"Oh, I'll pay that back on your behalf, of course."
"Huh? Well..."
I thought I'd turned her down, but it didn't feel like I'd actually managed to.
The rumors were true, and Benno's worries had been far from unfounded.
She really is just like the Guild Master! The tone was different, but she was saying the exact same thing!
As I panicked while Frieda, without breaking her smile, rattled off the advantages of switching shops one after another, Lutz's mood took a sharp nosedive.
"Myne, give her a clear answer. Same as yesterday."
"I-I-I must respectfully decline!"
I'd been worried that turning her down too firmly would make a child cry, but even after I refused, Frieda just widened her eyes.
If anything, her eyes sparkled with fighting spirit.
"Oh my, how unfortunate. ...But there's still plenty of time before Myne's Baptism Ceremony, and if you've registered temporarily at the commercial guild, we'll have plenty of chances to cross paths. Hehe, I'm looking forward to it."
What was this feeling?
It was like a frog pinned by a snake's gaze, or like having all my escape routes cut off. A cold sweat broke out across my body.
I don't care how much you charge—Benno, save me!
The Guild Master's granddaughter, Frieda, was a lovely and adorable young lady who loved money.
Myne's stomach ache was accelerating, targeted by both grandfather and granddaughter alike.
Next time: I make Frieda's hair ornament.