The Completion of the Metal Movable Type

After asking the Chief Priest whether it would be alright to bring craftsmen into my room, I immediately requested that Benno arrange for the shoemaker to come.

"May the thaw be blessed. May the Goddess of Spring bring forth great bounty."

With that springtime greeting, Benno and the shoemaker arrived, the two of them entering together. I remained seated in a chair in the hall, welcoming the craftsmen.

"May the blessings of the Water Goddess, Flutränne, and her attendant spirits be upon you."

While my guard Damuel glared them down, the shoemaker—who was about the same age as Benno—and his assistant briskly measured my feet and asked about what design I wanted and what kind of leather to use.

"Well now. The shoes for the Prayer Ceremony are the highest priority. I'll need deep boots made of horse leather."

"Then, shall we make them white?"

"That won't do, Deria. The Prayer Ceremony will involve walking through rural villages. A darker color would be far more practical."

Before I even had a chance to answer, Rosina and Deria were already making the decisions. Listening to their conversation, Fran tightened his expression. He was present because I had asked him to keep watch.

Just as I predicted, they kept going—how lovely this was, how they wanted to add that—embellishments and requests piled up endlessly. Watching the two of them, Fran cut in with a single sharp remark.

"Deria, no further decorations are necessary. Rosina, Lady Mine will be growing rapidly, so there's no need for such a large quantity. Simply purchase new ones as she grows."

Deria had always adored luxurious, beautiful, and cute things from the very start, and once shopping was involved, her excitement would keep climbing with no end in sight. If it was something custom-made, the shoes would inevitably become more and more extravagant.

Rosina had served as Christine's Attendant, so she had good taste and knew what was necessary, but her baseline for "how many are needed" was a bit off. If I let myself think the same way as Christine—someone who had never known financial hardship and simply acquired whatever she wanted based on her preferences and mood—I'd go bankrupt.

Fran, on the other hand, had served the Chief Priest, who despised waste. He knew the bare minimum required for proper etiquette and grooming. However, both the Chief Priest and Fran himself were men, so their sense of what was cute or beautiful fell short of Rosina's.

My job was to understand the boundaries Fran set, incorporate Rosina's and Deria's input, and finalize the order.

"Lady Mine, does this arrangement suit you?"

"Yes. I'll have these three pairs, please."

In the end, we ordered three pairs: sturdy knee-high horse-leather long boots and softer pig-leather short boots for the trip to the village, plus a pair of ornate cloth shoes for wearing inside the Temple and in the Noble District.

When the shoemaker finished preparing to leave after the order was placed, Benno glanced at me.

"I'm sorry, but I have an important matter to discuss with Lady Mine. Fran, would you mind escorting them to the Gate?"

"Very well. Deria, please escort the shoemakers to the Gate. Rosina, I'll need you to prepare tea."

Fran nodded at Benno's words and instructed Deria to see the craftsmen out. Deria, still buzzing from the shopping, cheerfully led them out of the room.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"Lady Mine, Johann came by the shop the other day. He says the commissioned item is complete."

At the words "commissioned item," I blinked. Back in autumn, I had become the patron of Johann, a blacksmith. I had entrusted him with a critical assignment—creating metal movable type—to determine whether he could be recognized as a full-fledged craftsman as a dapro.

"Huh? ...Um, Benno. The commissioned item is... the metal movable type, right? I mean, isn't that incredibly fast?"

The basic alphabet had thirty-five characters, but there were two variants for each sound. The task I had set for Johann was to prepare type for both variants—fifty of each for vowels and twenty for each consonant. I had never imagined he'd finish everything over the winter.

"Furthermore, he would like to receive an evaluation from you, his patron, Lady Mine."

The assignment was essentially a customer's order. Apparently, he first had to present it to the client who commissioned it and obtain their assessment.

"Ideally, I would recommend visiting the shop, but if you are unable to go, would it be acceptable to bring Johann and the master of the blacksmith workshop here?"

"...I'll consult with the Chief Priest about it."

"Understood."

The Chief Priest and Damuel were extremely on edge about anyone who came and went from my room. Without asking for his permission, I couldn't give any answer.

"I have already informed Johann that Lady Mine cannot come to the shop until the snow thaws, so please—once you have obtained the Chief Priest's approval—proceed with caution."

"Alright."

Benno had hammered that point home pretty thoroughly.

I immediately went to ask the Chief Priest for his permission. He had apparently been clearing through the massive pile of work that had accumulated over the winter recess, so he was relatively free, and the meeting time was set quickly.

"Um, Chief Priest. Would it be alright to invite the blacksmith Johann and his workshop master to my room?"

"...If you know him by name, he must be someone you're acquainted with?"

"Yes. I'm Johann's patron, so I need to evaluate what he's made."

"Hmm," the Chief Priest said, lightly tapping his temple with a finger.

"Mine, does this blacksmith named Johann know that you are a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice?"

"No, I haven't told him specifically. Johann probably thinks I'm just a young lady from the Gilberta Company. I doubt Benno told him either."

"I see. In that case, refrain from inviting him to the Temple. You should go to the shop instead."

"Why is it fine for the shoemaker but not for Johann?"

When I tilted my head, the Chief Priest let out a soft sigh and explained.

"The shoemaker came to the Shrine Maiden Apprentice's room because the Gilberta Company introduced him to make shoes for a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice. But Johann would be coming to the Temple to show goods to 'Mine of the Gilberta Company.'"

"...Ah."

I covered my mouth, and the Chief Priest narrowed his eyes.

"Over the winter, I gathered information from various sources, but it seems Benno has been quite effective at keeping details about you under wraps. Very few people seem to know that the child connected to the Gilberta Company and the Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice are the same person. Your true identity is surprisingly well-hidden."

Come to think of it, Benno had mentioned he was making efforts to keep me out of the spotlight. If the Chief Priest's investigation concluded that very few people knew, then Benno had really gone above and beyond.

"Then you should go to the shop yourself. We don't want word spreading among the townspeople that you're a Blue Shrine Maiden Apprentice."

"Understood. I'll head to the Gilberta Company."

It had been ages since I'd been outside. I could feel my face relaxing with the sense of freedom from leaving the Temple, but I desperately tried to keep my expression composed, trying not to show my emotions. However, the Chief Priest dismissed my efforts as "just smirking around the mouth—it's creepy."

"Damuel, I'll need you to guard Mine. Mine, you must always use a carriage when going to the shop. Under no circumstances should you wander around on foot. Contact Benno about the carriage. Also, both of you should try to keep a low profile outside."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"I'll be careful."

As I nodded through the Chief Priest's stream of instructions, I let out a small, giddy laugh.

...Wait for me, my metal movable type! I'm coming to see you right away!

Of course, even with my resolve, I couldn't go immediately. I had to call Lutz, who was working at the orphanage, ask him to relay a message to Benno, and request that he have a carriage sent around.

Benno coordinated with the blacksmith workshop, and a meeting date was set. There was also a possibility of postponement if the weather turned bad and a blizzard made it impossible to send out a carriage.

"I'll probably need metal movable type for spaces and punctuation marks too. I should prepare the next order document as well."

Until the meeting day, I diligently wrote the next order document. Alongside that, I didn't neglect preparations for the trip to the shop.

"I suppose I should have ink and paper ready, along with a brayer and some rags? It'd be better to understand how everything will be used. Fran, please ask Gil to have those prepared in the workshop."

"Very well."

"Lady Mine, whatever are we going to the shop for?"

While I was discussing preparations for heading to the Gilberta Company with Fran, Deria looked at me with an exasperated expression.

I had no idea how much information made its way from Deria to the High Priest. I gave her a bright smile.

"To evaluate a product."

My companions for this trip were Damuel, my guard, Fran, and Gil—who had developed a strange sense of rivalry with Lutz. Since Gil had claimed that work involving the Gilberta Company fell under his jurisdiction as the one managing the workshop, I decided to bring him along.

Even if I were just going to briefly explain how to use the metal movable type in the shop, I wouldn't be the one doing the actual demonstration, so Gil would carry out a simple printing example.

We climbed into the carriage Benno had sent for us and rattled along toward the Gilberta Company. The moment we passed through the Temple's Gate, Damuel—who had never been to the lower town before—grimaced at the stench and grime permeating the streets.

"What on earth is that smell?"

"...You'll just have to get used to it. This is the smell of the lower town."

...When you've only ever known the pristine Noble District and the meticulously cleaned Temple, it makes sense you'd make that face. I understand, I truly do.

Back when I first became Mine, I must have made exactly the same face walking through these streets. What a nostalgic thought. Eventually you get used to it and live normally. Human adaptability is really something.

"This must be the Chief Priest's assignment. My guard needs to be able to go to the lower town, after all."

"...I see. This is a harsh assignment indeed."

Only Damuel's face remained twisted in discomfort as the carriage arrived at the Gilberta Company. Mark stepped out in front of the shop to greet us.

"Welcome, Lady Mine. Everyone is here together, I see."

"Hello, Mark. I'll need you to show us the way."

"Shrine Maiden Apprentice, your hand."

Damuel extended his hand as though it were the most natural thing in the world, and I was caught off guard. In situations like this, I was supposed to be escorted like a proper lady, but as a faux lady, I simply didn't have the experience to be escorted smoothly.

The thing was, the carriage step was small, but the drop was still quite large for someone my size. If I focused too much on Damuel's hand, I might trip and tumble right off.

"Damuel, Lady Mine is still small. It's dangerous to escort her that way."

While I was standing there dripping with cold sweat, Fran said "excuse me" and lifted me down from the carriage.

"Oh. My apologies, Shrine Maiden Apprentice. There are no young ones around me usually, so I'm not quite sure how to handle this."

"Not at all. I should be the one working harder to grow up quickly so that Damuel can treat me as a proper lady."

The road to becoming a real lady was a steep one, and even after I grew up, there was no guarantee I'd become one—but I added that in my mind as we entered the shop. Following Mark's lead, we made our way to the back room.

"Sir, Lady Mine has arrived."

In the back room, the blacksmith workshop master, Johann, Benno, and Lutz were waiting.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

When I walked in, Johann and the master both gasped and widened their eyes. I could hardly blame them for being surprised—I had three companions in tow, a far cry from the lightness of wandering through town with just Lutz.

"Lady Mine, welcome."

Benno greeted me, and the master and Johann hurriedly bowed.

I sat down in the chair Fran pulled out for me and turned a smile toward Johann, who was seated across from me.

"Johann, how good to see you. I heard the commissioned item is finished, so I came right away."

"So this is the assignment..."

Johann glanced at Damuel and the other two standing behind me, his gaze wandering uncertainly, and then placed two cloth-wrapped square boxes on the table. Inside, metal pieces clinked against each other with a soft clatter.

At that sound, my heart pounded.

"It was too heavy to fit everything in a single box, so I split it into two."

Metal movable type production began with making the master mold. The master mold was a hard metal block with the characters carved in relief. Creating this was an extremely meticulous process. The characters had to be embossed onto metal pieces roughly one centimeter in size, so Johann's fine craftsmanship was absolutely essential.

Once the master mold was done, it was struck into a female mold made of soft metal. The soft metal would deform to match the shape of the characters on the master mold. Then, this female mold was placed into a casting frame, and an alloy was poured in. After it cooled and was removed from the mold, a metal movable type piece identical to the master mold character was complete.

The same process was repeated—pouring alloy into the same mold, cooling it, and removing it—over and over, producing an entire set of identically sized characters.

"I'm genuinely surprised at how fast this was. I never imagined it could be done this quickly..."

Just staring at the wrapped packages, I felt an indescribable thrill building in my chest. My heart was pounding, my head felt light, and pressing a hand to my chest, I let out a small breath. Like someone searching for a lover they couldn't see, I stared intently at the cloth, trying to see through it.

Seemingly oblivious to my anxious anticipation, Johann smiled a little sheepishly and scratched his cheek.

"...Everyone pitched in to help because they thought it was interesting."

Johann had made all the master molds and female molds for every character, but the mass-production phase had seen the idle winter craftsmen lending a hand for fun.

The master grinned and clapped Johann on the shoulder.

"They turned it into a competition—seeing who could pour the alloy most cleanly, coming up with more efficient methods together. They were laughing themselves silly at how fine the detail was for a dapro assignment. 'As expected of Johann's patron—surely the guidance of Vulcanicht, God of Blacksmiths!' they said."

Though he was teasing Johann, the master was genuinely impressed that Johann had secured a patron who appreciated fine detail work, calling it a blessing brought by the God of Blacksmiths.

I, too, was grateful for this encounter from the bottom of my heart.

"This metal movable type stuff? It's a solid chunk of our workshop's craftsmen's dedication. Johann, show her."

"Yes, master."

At the master's urging, Johann pulled away the cloth with a flourish.

Two shallow wooden boxes, roughly A4-sized, sat there—inside, rows upon rows of silver gleamed brilliantly. The raised and recessed surfaces of the characters caught the light and sparkled.

Every character of the basic alphabet, arranged just as I had ordered—it was nothing short of magnificent.

"Wow..."

With trembling hands, overcome with emotion, I picked up one of the metal type pieces. The small silver piece, about two and a half centimeters long, had characters firmly engraved into it. Despite its small size, it had a satisfying weight, and I turned it over in my hand, examining it from every angle.

Then I took out a second piece and placed them side by side on the table. Squinting, I confirmed that their heights matched perfectly. Even a slight difference in height could significantly affect printing.

Seeing the type pieces standing steadily on the table without wobbling, I beamed with delight at the quality that exceeded even my expectations.

"So? How is it, young lady? Is it what you wanted?"

At the master's voice, I snapped back to reality and looked around. Johann was holding his breath, waiting for my evaluation.

Comparing the box packed tight with tiny metal type to Johann, I gripped the type piece in my hand and gave a firm nod.

"It's wonderful! You're a real Gutenberg!"

"Huh?"

"I hereby bestow upon Johann the title of Gutenberg!"

"What?"

As everyone around stared with mouths agape, only Lutz changed color, rushed to my chair, and shook my shoulder.

"Mine, calm down!"

I twisted around in my seat to look up at him.

"How can I possibly be calm!? He's Gutenberg!"

"You're overreacting, idiot!"

Lutz's panicked voice came down at me, but there was simply no way I could stay calm in front of finished metal movable type. Impossible. Absolutely impossible.

"Lutz, this is going to change the history of books!? Doesn't it get your heart racing? Aren't you excited? Come on, feel more moved! Let's share this thrill!"

"Sorry, Mine. I've got no clue what you're talking about."

Lutz clearly couldn't share in my excitement. Looking around the room, everyone wore the same bewildered, confused expression. Not being able to share this moment of awe with anyone—it was almost heartbreaking.

"But this is the dawn of the printing age!? Everyone here is witnessing the very moment history changes!?"

I jumped to my feet and launched into an impassioned speech about how amazing these metal movable type pieces were. But the response from my audience was less than enthusiastic.

"He's Gutenberg!? Gutenberg's first name was Johannes—that's practically Johann! What a wonderful coincidence! A miraculous encounter! A prayer to the gods!"

When I struck a dramatic prayerful pose, Lutz clutched his head.

"...Hey, young lady. What's a Gutenberg?"

The blacksmith workshop master blinked his wide eyes and furrowed his brow in puzzlement. I was glad that at least he was trying to understand, so I clasped my hands together and gazed at him earnestly.

"He was a great figure who left behind achievements equal to those of the gods—an achievement that completely transformed the history of books. Johann is this town's Gutenberg!"

As I was making this declaration, it occurred to me that metal movable type alone wasn't enough for printing. You also needed paper, ink, and a printing press. It wasn't fair to praise only Johann, and that might have been why everyone's reactions were lukewarm.

"...Oh, you're right, aren't you? It's not just Johann with the metal movable type—there's the person who makes the ink, the person who builds the printing press, Benno with the Plant Paper, and Lutz, who sells the books. We can't do it without any one of them. I'm sorry. You're all Gutenberg. You're all part of Team Gutenberg."

"I don't want to be part of any such team."

I extended the invitation, and Benno rejected it immediately.

"What do you mean you don't want to, Benno!? Gutenberg's work of printing and publishing books influenced the entire world! You should be honored! You should be thrilled! Right?"

Benno looked at me with an expression caught between exasperation and resignation, then glanced at Lutz as if wanting to say something. Lutz shook his head as if to say "hopeless" and let out a sigh.

"With the metal movable type done, next up is the printing press! I'll order it from the woodwork workshop. Wow, we can really print now! Amazing, amazing! Thank the Goddess of Wisdom, Mestionora!"

With my final thanks to Mestionora, my consciousness faded to black at the peak of bliss.

Mine has gone into full meltdown mode in front of her metal movable type.

Next time: a side story from Johann's perspective.