All because of the Contract Magic I'd wanted for stability, I prayed that no one would die.
Trembling from head to toe, I walked home with Lutz. My stomach felt heavy, as if I'd swallowed lead, and it churned the whole way.
"You don't have to worry so much. The master will figure something out."
I nodded along to Lutz's comforting words as we walked, but the thought that a stranger might suddenly drop dead or be punished for something was enough to fill me with endless, gnawing anxiety. My stomach twisted in knots.
What scared me most was dragging innocent people—people who knew nothing—into this.
I'd wanted to hole up at home and never come out, but Lutz said I'd "just sit around thinking weird things" and more or less dragged me outside by force. All we could do was make paper, go into the forest, and wait for word from Benno—and the helplessness of it was maddening.
But after a few days passed and I went through the Gate to reach the forest,
After a few more days, distrust of Benno began to overshadow my fear. Would anyone really die? Was Benno just blowing things out of proportion?
Thinking such thoughts, I kept replaying his words, his expression, his attitude.
"...Doesn't something seem off when you think about it?"
"Like what?"
Lutz, who had been tilting the Screen Frame to make Forin paper, frowned at my remark.
I stacked the sheets that had been laid out on the Paper Bed, then turned back to Lutz.
"The part about it being binding even on people who don't know about Contract Magic."
"Why? It's magic, so isn't it naturally mysterious?"
Lutz said this in a breezy tone as he came over with his freshly formed sheets, so this time I took over the papermaking.
"The 'it's magic so it's mysterious' part is what seems off to me. If Contract Magic were applied to basic techniques or commonplace goods, wouldn't people get hurt all over the place? Even if Contract Magic is being used in some far-off city, we'd have no way of knowing about it..."
"Well, that's true enough."
I thought as I worked the pulp. If Contract Magic had some kind of patent system built into it, there had to be an office managing it—something like a patent office. They'd have to announce to everyone which products carried which Contract Magic, or it would be far too dangerous.
"I think Contract Magic must have some kind of range and conditions, even if we don't know about them. Besides, if it were really that dangerous, wouldn't there be stricter regulations and enforcement?"
"You're beating around the bush, but what are you really worried about, Mine?"
"Worried..."
Lutz's words made my hands stop automatically. Lutz reached over, took the Screen Frame from me, and started finishing the sheet himself.
"When Mine wants to dodge her own feelings, she starts talking really fast."
Lutz tilted his chin up just slightly, as if to say, "Stuffing it all inside won't help me understand—just spit it out."
"...I'm scared that innocent people who don't know about Contract Magic will get caught up in it. I want to believe Benno was joking or lying. Nobody's in danger right now, right? He was just trying to scare us, right?...I want to believe that."
"Well, I'd love it if it were a joke, but why would he do that? What would the master gain from tricking us?"
"Ugh... I mean, he's tricked us plenty of times before. I feel like Benno is hiding things from me again, keeping secrets, testing us..."
I was about to say, "He's planning to push us away while he does something behind our backs," when I heard a familiar voice from behind.
"Huh? Seems like Benno doesn't have Mine's trust as much as I'd thought?"
I'd thought we were alone in the warehouse, so hearing a voice from behind startled both Lutz and me into whipping around.
"Otto!? What are you doing here!?"
Otto, in civilian clothes, raised one eyebrow and pulled a playful face, waving his hand lazily.
"Obviously I'm here with a message from Benno."
"A message!?"
Benno had said he'd get in touch through Otto, but I'd assumed it would be a quiet word when we passed through the Gate. I never expected him to show up at the warehouse like this.
"He said it's finally over."
That was far too vague to tell me anything. I'd been writhing over so little information, and now I practically lunged at Otto demanding more.
"What's over!? How did it end!?"
"Well, it sounds like things got pretty hairy."
"What happened!?"
Otto merely gave a slight shrug and offered nothing resembling an actual answer. I couldn't tell whether he truly didn't know or was just pretending not to.
"Didn't Benno explain?"
"Barely. Something about how it would be terrible if someone who doesn't know about Contract Magic started making and selling paper on their own, and that I shouldn't come to the shop until the talks with the Parchment Association were finished. That's about all."
When I relayed what Benno had told me, Otto stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"Hmm, sounds like you got the bare minimum."
"Were there any victims? Was anyone hurt because of Contract Magic? That's what I'm most worried about..."
"That's exactly why he kept the method secret, right? No one was hurt at all. For anything beyond that, you'd better ask Benno directly. Once things calm down, shall we go together?"
"Yes!"
The assurance that there were no victims lifted the weight from my chest. My whole body felt lighter, and I threw myself eagerly into making paper.
"So you make paper with this? What's this stuff?"
"Trade secret."
"It looks kind of gooey. What's in it?"
"Trade secret."
Otto kept asking question after question with great interest as he watched the papermaking process, but I didn't answer a single one and carried on working.
"I'm close with Mine, you know. You could tell me."
"You bet. I'll get chewed out by Benno. Right, Lutz?"
When I deflected to Lutz, he shrugged and flashed a grin.
"Everyone always says Mine has no filter. She'd better keep her mouth shut."
"Hahaha... I can just picture Benno with veins popping on his forehead."
"More like exasperated beyond belief, if anything."
After we finished cleaning up the tools, the three of us headed for Benno's shop. As we cut through the alley onto the main road, Otto pressed his fingers to his temple and looked down at me.
"...Do you always walk this fast?"
"...Yes?"
"Whoa, impressive, Lutz. I'm a little impressed. I couldn't keep up. ...Anyway, pardon me."
"Hyah!"
Before I could protest, Otto scooped me up with a grunt and carried me on his shoulder. He marched off at a brisk pace. Now that I thought about it, both Benno and
Apparently, to adults, my walking speed was slow enough that carrying me was irresistible. How depressing.
When we reached Benno's shop, Mark greeted us at the door.
"Mine, Lutz, welcome. And Otto, sir—thank you once again for everything."
"It's fine once in a while. It was fun, anyway. Is Benno in the back?"
Otto casually waved off Mark's bow and strode straight to the back, still carrying me in one arm. With his free hand, he opened the door to the rear room.
"Benno, the Water Goddess has arrived."
With that nonsensical greeting, the instant Otto stepped inside, a killing glare laden with genuine menace shot from Benno.
Because Otto was carrying me, I caught the brunt of it and flinched.
"Shut up, Otto. Do you want to be divorced from Corina?"
Apparently Benno, who served as a father figure to Corina, had the authority to annul the marriage. Otto had mentioned he was essentially a live-in son-in-law, and Benno seemed to hold a patriarch-like position over the family.
I wasn't the only one who sensed the real anger behind Benno's glare and low voice. Otto, who put Corina at the center of his universe, started sputtering explanations in a panic.
"Whoa! I'm kidding! It was just a little joke!"
"A joke that isn't funny isn't a joke."
With an expression that was impossible to read as either playful or serious, Benno began squeezing Otto's head in a tight grip. I was afraid I'd be dropped, so I asked him to stop.
"Benno, you seem to be in a bad mood."
"This idiot's fault."
Benno shot Otto a dark look, but Otto calmly set me down on the floor without a care.
"Turns out Benno didn't have as much trust as he thought. Mine here was grumbling up a storm. She said she felt like Benno was hiding things from her again, keeping secrets, testing her..."
I could tell Benno was getting angry. Otto had to have known exactly what he was doing—saying it because it would get a reaction.
"Otto, stop adding fuel to the fire!"
Afraid Benno would sour further after hearing Otto's words, I snuck a glance at him. But he didn't seem offended. Instead, he looked at me and let out a weary sigh.
"Haaah... Is Mine perceptive, or just distrustful? Or is she just a pain? I went through all the trouble of shielding you from something troublesome, and you could have just stayed quiet..."
"But being able to read between the lines is important for a merchant, so trying to see what's behind someone's words and actions is the right call, isn't it?"
Otto flashed a grin and gave me a thumbs-up.
"Fine. I'll answer your questions. Sit down."
We took our usual seats at the table, and the first thing out of my mouth was the question that had been eating at me.
"Does Contract Magic really affect people who have nothing to do with it?"
"It can, depending on the terms. This time, there was a real chance of that happening. I'm pretty sure I explained that."
He had indeed. The explanation was given—I just hadn't been able to accept it.
"But if Contract Magic were applied to basic techniques or ordinary goods and technology, wouldn't people get hurt all over the place? Even if it's being used in another country, we'd have no way of knowing... Aren't there conditions or a range for when it activates? And isn't there some kind of organization managing Contract Magic?"
When I laid out my thoughts, Benno looked mildly surprised, then nodded.
"Ah, Contract Magic basically only takes effect within the city where the contract was made. Small-scale magic that occurs inside a city can't pass through the magical barrier that lines the Outer Wall."
"A magical barrier!? What's that!?"
The fantastical new setting made my heart race, and I couldn't help leaning forward with more questions—but Benno shot me a glare.
"It's a basic part of how cities work, but that's irrelevant right now. Are we done with questions and explanations regarding this matter?"
"No way! If Contract Magic really affects people who don't know about it, isn't that incredibly dangerous? You can't just go using that stuff freely!"
Benno looked displeased, raising one eyebrow as he glared at me.
"Contract Magic is not something you just 'use freely.' The Magical Tools required are only given to approved merchants, and they cost a fortune—enough to make your eyes pop out of your head. Besides, as you yourself reasoned, any Contract Magic that affects parties beyond the signatories must be reported to the Lord. If someone gets hurt and you haven't reported it, we're the ones who get punished."
"Huh? Then..."
In that instant, I realized he'd been panicking because he'd forgotten to file the report and someone might get hurt. Before the thought even left my mouth, Benno flicked me on the forehead.
"Ow!"
"Don't get the wrong idea. I already reported it to the Lord ages ago."
He'd seen through me before I even spoke.
As I pressed my forehead and groaned, Benno snorted and curled his lips upward with a smug look.
"When I reported to the Lord, he told me to also report and register it with the commercial guild as a new product covered by Contract Magic."
"...So you did report it to the commercial guild as well?"
"Of course I did. The Contract Magic report and registration. Then I went to get approval to establish a new association."
"Huh?"
A new association? What was he planning? Was he about to do something spectacularly unnecessary?
The unexpected words made me widen my eyes and tilt my head. Seeing this, Benno puffed out his chest with a self-satisfied expression, as though he'd done something clever.
"Plant Paper looks like it could become a major business, right? So I decided to set up a Plant Paper Association, just like the Parchment Association, and expand the business to other cities."
"...I'm hearing this for the first time."
I grimaced, and Benno nodded as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"I'm telling you for the first time now."
"W-wait a minute! That's directly picking a fight with vested interests! There's no way negotiations would end peacefully!"
I had absolutely no idea how he could be this aggressive—Go! Go!—with no apparent groundwork, no concessions, and no fallback position in sight.
"The fact that it didn't end peacefully isn't my fault. It's that old fossil's fault."
"Shifting the blame?"
When I groaned and glared at Benno, Otto, who was sitting next to him, doubled over laughing. I couldn't find the punchline, so Benno and I both glanced at him, then ignored him.
"Calling it blame-shifting isn't quite right either. I went to the commercial guild to register, but since we didn't have a physical product at the time the Contract Magic was established, they told me it was impossible to register. I went back to register once the prototype was finished."
"I see."
"But the Guild Master wasn't happy about me creating a new association, and he dragged his feet—I applied, but the final processing supposedly still wasn't done even after the season changed."
Come to think of it, the Guild Master had meddled with our temporary registration as well. He'd wanted to trade hair ornaments and had grudgingly approved our temporary registration, but he'd been clearly reluctant about it.
"Can the Guild Master really delay or deny registration based on his personal reasons? He did it with our temporary registration too."
"He can come up with a plausible excuse. At the time, the excuse was that I wasn't blood-related to you. This time, since parchment already exists, he claims there's no need to create a separate association for Plant Paper."
The look of pure distaste on Benno's face brought back the memory of when the two of them had been in the same room. It had been tense, with both parties constantly sniping at each other.
"I can just imagine how that exchange went."
"I submitted the application back in autumn, so I never considered the possibility that it wouldn't be registered before I sold the paper this time. Granted, I wasn't careful enough, but is this my fault?"
When Benno glared at me, I quickly shook my head.
"I think it was the commercial guild's negligence."
"Exactly. They used the fact that unregistered paper was being sold as leverage, and the Parchment Association came after me with complaints. And that old fossil put aside his own track record and sided with them from the very start..."
It turned out that Benno's real enemy wasn't the Parchment Association representing the vested interests—it was the Guild Master.
"The Lord had told you to register with the commercial guild. If the Contract Magic registration wasn't complete and someone got hurt, what do you think would happen?"
Being told to register and not doing it would look terrible—and would likely result in severe punishment.
"I think the Lord would be furious."
"Ah, yes. The Magical Tools needed for Contract Magic would be confiscated, future dealings with the Nobility would be restricted, and the Lord would impose penalties on the contract holders. That would be giving that old fossil the perfect ammunition. That's why I couldn't let anyone learn the papermaking method until registration was complete."
"So that's how it was."
If it was about guarding against the Guild Master, then the extreme caution made sense.
"But I couldn't drag you two into the complicated games adults play. Besides, Mine has a habit of blurting out important information without thinking—especially around people she knows, or people who've saved her life. She'd let her guard down completely."
"Huh!? I'm not trusted that much!?"
"It's an accumulation of past experiences. Think back to what you've done."
"Ugh..."
I recalled all the incidents at the Guild Master's house and trailed off. When I considered things from Benno's position, someone like me—whose actions were completely unpredictable—was best kept isolated.
"I think I understand the general background now. So, was the meeting with the Parchment Association difficult?"
"Over there, it was just a matter of groundwork. The only real headache was that old fossil."
So the Guild Master really was the final boss. Who would have guessed the vested interests were small fry compared to Benno.
While I'd been wringing my stomach making paper, this kind of development had been utterly unthinkable.
Otto, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth with a grin.
"I was dragged along to that meeting too. The Parchment Association ultimately agreed to a compromise."
"A compromise?"
"Something about dividing the uses of the paper."
"Ah..."
I recognized my own proposal in Benno's words and clapped my hands together. If they'd compromised, it meant they could protect the Parchment Association's domain while still spreading paper far and wide.
This was a step forward for my book project too. If more paper circulated and prices dropped, books would become easier to produce.
At last, I'd be able to make books without worrying about paper.
Once Benno set up a workshop and mass production began, paper wouldn't be a concern anymore. I was already thinking ahead to ink and printing when Otto, looking equally cheerful, spoke up.
"And get this—Benno, who never gives an inch, changed his mind because of someone! The rumor going around is that the Water Goddess finally appeared to Benno himself!"
"The Water Goddess?"
The shift away from the dry business details seemed to lighten the mood, and Lutz piped up.
"She's the herald of spring that melts the snow. The goddess who brings an end to the long winter."
Otto's words brought me back to myself. Come to think of it, I knew nothing about the local mythology. Gods appeared even in New Year's greetings, so they probably permeated daily life more than I realized.
"...Is this Water Goddess a different deity from the Goddess of Spring used in the New Year's greetings?"
"Not exactly different... The Water Goddess who melts the snow, the Goddess of Budding, and all the goddesses related to spring—they're all grouped together and called the Goddess of Spring."
"Oh."
Was I the only one who felt a flicker of familiarity just from knowing it was polytheistic? At least this world wasn't forcing monotheism on me, a concept I'd had no exposure to since my time as
"...That's it?"
Otto stared at me blankly. I'd been rude, especially after he'd gone out of his way to explain.
"Huh? Um... I'm glad I know more about the goddesses now. Please tell me about the other gods next time."
"That's not what I meant—Benno's..."
"Otto, do you want to be thrown out?"
Benno's low voice cut through Otto's fumbling words.
I vaguely sensed that my poor intuition was the cause, but judging from Benno's angry expression, not catching on was probably the right call.
"Come to think of it, why did you attend the meeting, Otto?"
To steer Benno away before he made good on his threat to separate Otto from Corina, I threw Otto a lifeline.
It worked—Benno let go of Otto and turned toward me. Beside him, Otto gave me a grateful look.
"Because once the Plant Paper Association gets going, I'll need his help."
"Huh? Does that mean Otto is going to become a merchant!?"
Had the day finally come when Otto, who had given up the merchant's path to marry Corina, could once again pursue it?
I was about to celebrate when Benno shook his head.
"No, Otto is still a soldier. I'm just going to work him to the bone in his spare time."
"That's terrible!"
Being used as a worker for Benno after his soldier duties were over was just plain pitiful. Lutz nodded in agreement beside me.
But Benno snorted, looked at Otto, and grinned.
"It's only natural that he'd work off his share of rent for Corina's sake. Right, Otto?"
"I feel like I'm working more than my share of rent."
The two locked eyes with dark, dangerous smiles, completely oblivious to Lutz and me.
Growing bored of their staring contest, I tapped the table.
"Benno, I want to hear the rest. What happened with the Guild Master in the end?"
Benno broke his gaze from Otto and turned back to me. After a casual shrug, he wore a victorious smile.
"I offered a compromise point, and the Parchment Association agreed to the establishment of the Plant Paper Association. Even the Guild Master had no choice but to accept."
"Shouldn't that be 'forced him to accept'?"
Otto interjected, and I thought he was probably right. Benno clicked his tongue when he saw Lutz and me nodding in agreement.
"I had all the documents in perfect order, I'd reached a reconciliation with the Parchment Association, and not a single victim had appeared. At that point, dragging out the registration any further would have been nothing but the commercial guild's negligence."
"Oh, that's true. But if he's so senile he can't read documents, maybe he should consider retirement? Or hey, maybe I could take over for him?—I'm pretty sure those were unnecessary things to say."
Otto's confession made me gasp.
"That's exactly why you get targeted for being insolent and things get complicated! The Guild Master was furious, wasn't he?"
"His face turned completely red with rage. I didn't know a person's face could get that red."
Otto's cheerful delivery of this additional information was anything but welcome.
Benno agreed with him, saying "That was quite a spectacle," and the two exchanged knowing looks.
"Let that old fossil be as angry as he likes. He's the one who put us through unnecessary trouble with his sabotage this time."
It seemed that the rift between the Guild Master and Benno had grown even deeper and wider after this incident.
"At any rate, registration is confirmed as complete this time. From here on, we're making and selling paper in earnest. First, we need to decide on a workshop in this city."
With the thorny issue resolved, Benno turned to the practical matter of mass-producing paper.
"I want to start large-scale production at the workshop in time for the summer Baptism Ceremony."
"Why?"
Otto tilted his head curiously.
"After careful profit calculations, I determined it would be better to start after the Baptism Ceremony—once Lutz becomes an apprentice. That way, I won't have to pay you two anymore. Besides, between choosing the workshop, having the tools made, securing the raw materials, and learning the process, we'll end up at around the time of the Baptism Ceremony anyway."
"That's true."
Even we had struggled to acquire our tools. Preparing multiple large-scale tools for mass production would certainly take time.
"So, Mine and Lutz—to use as a reference for choosing the workshop, I want you to spill every detail of how paper is made."
It seemed the real agenda for Benno started here.
Lutz and I exchanged a look and let out weary sighs.
My fight against the vested interests is now over.
Both sides will continue making paper, but we've settled the matter by dividing our domains under separate organizations.
Next time: choosing the workshop for papermaking and beginning preparations.