Return to the Temple and Meeting with Gutenberg

When returning to the Temple, the High Priest instructed me to transport the Magical Tool that stops time aboard the Lesser Bus. I was overjoyed and immediately prepared the Lesser Bus. Setting it to family-car size so that Rosina, Hugo, and Ella could ride in the back seat as usual, the High Priest told me that wouldn't do.

"Rozemyne, that's too small to carry the Magical Tool. Make the ride beast bigger. You can do that much when transporting Gutenberg."

Puzzled by the High Priest's words, I enlarged the Lesser Bus to bus size.

"Is the Magical Tool that stops time really that big?"

"That one."

Following Norbert's instructions, several men-of-all-works carried in what was quite plainly a box large enough for a grown man to stretch out inside. As I gaped in surprise, the enormous box was loaded onto the Lesser Bus.

"So there are lots of fish inside this?"

"If it's already been in use, there shouldn't be many left."

With Juditte in the passenger seat, I drove the Lesser Bus to the Temple. My Guard Knights were accompanying me, along with several Attendants. Roderich, who was heading to the Temple for the first time, wore a tense expression as he mounted his ride beast.

"Welcome back."

"We've been expecting you, Lady Rozemyne."

At the Temple, my Attendant and the High Priest's Attendant were waiting for our return, just as always.

"Fran, Zahm, Gil, Fritz. If the four of you aren't enough, please ask others for help and carry this into the kitchen. Hugo, Ella—I have some questions about the new ingredients. Please come to my room."

I gave the Attendants their instructions, and they promptly carried the large Magical Tool to the kitchen. Several gray priests called over by Fran came out and helped transport it.

While the Attendants were unloading the cargo, my retainers put away their ride beasts and waited for a time. Roderich, who had been looking around the Temple and studying Fran and the others who were accustomed to it, tilted his head with a puzzled expression.

"Does Lady Rozemyne summon cooks to her private chambers?"

"I've had the Attendants try to dissuade me before, but there are many things I can only understand by speaking with them directly."

There were numerous matters that required face-to-face conversation—discussions about the Italian restaurant, whether to transfer as a court chef, and so on. As a result, even Fran, who at first had made an unpleasant face at the idea of letting a menial cook into my chambers, had recently given up completely, saying, "If it's something only the cook herself would know, there's nothing we can do about it."

"You too, Roderich—resignation is key. Please grow accustomed to my way of doing things as quickly as possible. Having accepted your role, you will be the Attendant who works most closely with me."

"Yes."

Seeing Roderich nod with a determined "I'll do my best," Philine gave a small laugh.

"Roderich, Lady Rozemyne sits down with Commoner merchants to discuss printing and papermaking and listens to their opinions, so you shouldn't be surprised by something like this."

Once Fran and the others had finished unloading the cargo, I put away the Lesser Bus and entered the Temple. Monica guided me to the High Priest's office.

Inside, Nikola had already prepared tea. The bright smile and scent of sweets that greeted me with "Welcome back, Lady Rozemyne" made me feel as though I had returned home.

"Philine, please explain the Temple's work to Roderich. Damuel, consult with the Guard Knights and decide on a rotation for coming to the Temple. Two are sufficient. There's no need for five people in this room."

"Understood."

Sipping the tea Nikola had brewed and eating the last Paru cake of the year, I issued instructions to my retainers. When I was done, Hugo and Ella—who had apparently finished putting away the cargo—entered with tense expressions, eyeing the retainers cautiously.

"Hugo, Ella—please tell me what you learned about the new ingredients."

In response to my question, Hugo's gaze grew slightly distant.

"It was a struggle. They were quite formidable. I realized that without knowing how to butcher them, Ahrensbach's ingredients are extremely dangerous."

From the Magical Tool that stops time, they had to be immediately removed and placed in a pot of water, covered with a lid, weighed down with something heavy, and set over a fire. There were small fish that would fly through the air and attack, fish that had to be poked with a wooden stick while using the pot lid as a shield until they had completely expelled their stones, and bizarre creatures whose processing methods were unknown even to court chefs—the Magical Tool had apparently been packed with all manner of mysterious organisms.

The kitchen used for preparation had apparently been a warzone. In a world where mushrooms danced and vegetables were called ferocious, one would expect fish to be normal.

...I thought the taste was ordinary, but I guess they really weren't just ordinary fish.

"I wasn't sure if you would need them, Lady Rozemyne, so I put all the remaining ingredients into the Magical Tool and brought them to the Temple. However, the court chef told us there were some that Commoner cooks simply can't butcher and that we should throw them out. Apparently, no matter how ferocious the monster, it will eventually die without water, so you should just leave them on the ground."

At Ella's words, I shook my head vigorously.

"Throw them away? Absolutely not. I'll ask the High Priest about the butchering methods and do it myself."

"...I'm not certain that Lady Rozemyne's slender arms would be up to the task," Hugo said with great difficulty, and Ella nodded in agreement, but for a three-piece fish fillet, I was the one they should leave it to. Surely if I used Magic Power to transform my Stappe into a knife, even I could cut a fish.

"In any case, please don't dispose of the ingredients until I've consulted with the High Priest about the processing methods."

"Understood."

After receiving the battlefield report from the two cooks about the kitchen, I handed Nikola a paper listing recipes for cooking the remaining ingredients.

"There's no rush for today, Nikola. Start by familiarizing yourself with these recipes. The fish used in the Zantebelsuppe—that probably doesn't mean much to you, does it? Once you understand the recipes, please try making them."

"I'll give it a try."

After the cooks left the room, I wrote a letter to the High Priest asking him to teach me how to butcher the fish. Since the High Priest was knowledgeable about magical beasts and knew how to defeat minor magical beasts found only in Ahrensbach, he surely knew the butchering methods as well.

"Zahm, please deliver this letter to the High Priest. Fran, I'll need your report on everything that happened in my absence."

"Understood."

After that, I listened to the Attendants' reports. There didn't seem to be any major changes. The children at the orphanage were doing well, and Conrad had apparently learned his letters and basic arithmetic during this winter. I nodded along to Wilma's report. A quick glance told me Philine was listening with rapt attention.

"In autumn, the Common Town child who accompanied Lutz to the forest played with the orphanage children, and that seems to have been a wonderful stimulus. They promised to play in the forest again once spring arrives, and he's been eagerly working to memorize all his karuta cards by then."

The exchange between the orphanage children and the children from the Common Town was gradually deepening, which was wonderful to see.

By the time I had finished listening to all the reports, Zahm had returned. I needed to discuss the date of the meeting with Gutenberg with the Attendants, so I called Zahm over to check the schedule.

"Winter coming-of-age ceremonies and spring Baptism Ceremonies are coming up soon, aren't they? When would be convenient?"

"After the Baptism Ceremonies, the Prayer Ritual is right around the corner. If Gutenberg is going to be away for an extended period, the sooner the meeting is held, the better," Fran said, and Gil nodded, adding, "We'll also need to make preparations at the Workshop beforehand." Just as opinions were converging on "as soon as possible," Zahm raised his hand lightly.

"Lady Rozemyne, the High Priest will be joining the meeting with Gutenberg. He said he has something he'd like to ask someone from the Common Town."

"Gil."

"Right away."

The High Priest's attendance was the most critical piece of news. I handed Gil a letter with the meeting date and asked him to deliver it to the Plantan Workshop immediately.

...Still, what could the High Priest possibly want to ask someone from the Common Town?

A reply came back from the Plantan Workshop: "Understood. Would it be better to move the mattresses in on the day of the meeting, or on a different day?" Spring would be packed with religious ceremonies, leaving little available time. Gutenberg also needed to prepare for departure, so it would be best to wrap everything up if possible.

"Fran, wouldn't that be too rushed? Will we have our reception preparations in order?"

"No matter how rushed it is, preparing for reception is the Attendant's job. Please don't worry about it. Moreover, since the artisans will be going in and out of your room, it would be best to have the work completed while you're in the conference room."

Both Damuel and Cornelius had told me that being in my room while Common Town artisans came and went was a bad idea from a security standpoint, so I decided to have the mattresses delivered on the day of the meeting.

And so the day of the meeting with Gutenberg arrived. Since the High Priest would also be attending, the meeting would be held in the Noble Quarter conference room. In addition to the Temple Attendants, I had my own Attendants—both civil officials and Guard Knights—and the High Priest had his, so the room was quite full.

Benno, Mark, Damian, and Lutz of the Plantan Workshop had been trained to enter the castle without issue, but the rest of the Gutenberg members were visibly stiff with tension. Yousef of the Ink Workshop had a rigid expression that screamed he had been nervous enough at the orphanage director's office and had no desire to set foot in the Noble Quarter.

"Lady Rozemyne, before we begin the meeting, allow me to show you this. It's a chair that uses a mattress for the seat. How about this, along with the bed mattress?"

At Benno's introduction, Zack and Ingo brought a single chair into the conference room. It was an elegant, feminine, single-seat luxury chair with ornate carvings on the armrests and legs. Dyed fabric covered the seat.

"This is a chair we made during the mattress prototype stage. The wooden parts come from Ingo's woodworking shop, the mattress from Zack's smithy, and the fabric was dyed by Effa of the Renaissance—Lady Rozemyne's dye workshop—using dyes prepared by Heidi."

I promptly sat down in the chair. With just fabric stretched over coils, it was considerably harder compared to the sofas from the Hannelore era, but adding a cushion would solve that entirely. Since it wasn't a wooden board, it didn't hurt to sit on. Placing the futon I had been using on top of this mattress would make for a very comfortable bed. Most of all, I was happy that Gutenberg had all cooperated to make it for me.

"I love it. I'll purchase it along with the bed mattress."

"You honor us."

I was settling the bill with Benno using our guild cards when the High Priest, who had been watching the whole exchange intently, glared at me.

"What is a mattress? I don't recall receiving a report on it."

Making mattresses seemed like quite a difficult process, and they were extremely expensive. Above all, since I wanted Gutenberg to prioritize the printing industry, I hadn't intended to spread mattresses around—but the High Priest had found out.

"Well, you see, this was a very personal purchase, and since it's still a prototype, my plan was to refine it and then secretly introduce it once it was complete..."

"I am asking what a mattress is, Rozemyne. Your personal circumstances are of no concern."

The High Priest was not going to be brushed off. With a quiet sigh, I gave a brief explanation of the mattress.

"The mattress I ordered is something you put inside a bed to make sleeping more comfortable. As Zack noticed, it can also be used for chairs like this. It's not necessary for my Lesser Bus, but I think if we could use them, carriages would become much more comfortable to ride in."

As I added those words, Benno and Zack both looked up sharply. Both had the expression of men who had found a promising new sales channel. They would certainly try to sell it to the Guild Master at a premium.

"Rozemyne, switch places with me. Let me test the seating comfort, and if I like it, I'll place the order."

"Then please teach me how to butcher fish."

In my letter asking to be taught fish butchering methods, Zahm had mentioned that the High Priest would be attending this meeting, but there had been no answer regarding the actual butchering. I hadn't forgotten about the fish either, and I wouldn't be put off. While I looked up at him, thinking I wouldn't move until I got permission, the High Priest let out a soft breath.

"...Very well."

I grinned and stepped away from the chair, offering it to the High Priest. He sat down, pressed the seat with his hands several times, placed and removed a cushion to test the mattress, and then stood.

"After the meeting, I'll order a long sofa from Gutenberg. Gide, prepare for the order."

"Understood."

The Attendant the High Priest had addressed left the conference room. It seemed the mattress had made quite an impression. He wasn't ordering a single chair—he wanted a long sofa.

...Could he possibly be thinking of putting one in the Workshop to use as a bed?

While I pondered that, I turned back to Gutenberg.

"Then, let's hear Gutenberg's winter report."

Benno reported on sales within the castle, including a comparison of Greißler, Hartenzel, and the Rozemyne Workshop. Although Plant Paper had kept prices down, books were still expensive. In Ehrenfest, where the number of buyers was fixed, overall sales appeared to have declined.

"We've heard that printing will be showcased at the Noble Academy next year, so we're looking forward to expanding our sales channels. Additionally, the stationery items Lady Rozemyne taught us about have been gradually coming together."

In addition to the old-fashioned files that used strings to bind pages and the boxes to hold them, the stationery that came to mind was all the things I remembered from the hundred-yen shop in the Hannelore era. Benno had apparently been working hard to recreate them.

I received several prototypes and asked about how they actually felt to use. The Plantan Workshop was already using them.

"Please deliver twenty of each to the High Priest's office, stamped with the Rozemyne Workshop crest. Now that we've gathered this much stationery, we'll need a hole-punching machine and a paper-cutting machine to ensure uniform sizing."

I wanted to order a hole punch and a paper cutter. Ideally, I'd also like a stapler—as I was running through these thoughts, Johann flinched visibly. His reaction was correct. This was Johann's department.

From Johann, I received reports on the progress of pump installations and the Greißler artisans who had been staying over the winter.

"From the north down to the center of the Common Town, pumps have been installed in most wells. As Lady Rozemyne suggested, we prioritized locations where merchants from other provinces would be received. We plan to expand to Artisan Way next, and eventually install them in the southern residential district as well."

Johann's apprentice Danilo was apparently progressing well, making it somewhat easier to produce small parts. Thanks to Zack's workshop having produced mattress coils over and over, they were apparently in a state where they could accept an order for the High Priest's mattress even in Zack's absence.

Yousef reported on ink made from Greißler materials. Since many nobles would be present today, Heidi was apparently on standby. She was reportedly looking forward with particular excitement to a long-term business trip where new materials might be obtained.

"I'll send these research results to Greißler from the castle. Also, this spring we'll be heading to Leisegang. Once again, civil officials and Lord Candidate trainees will be accompanying us. It will be tough, but I'm counting on you all."

When I announced the destination, Yousef timidly raised his hand to speak.

"What is it, Yousef?"

"I have a terribly forward request, but I would like to ask that our lodging be arranged in the Common Town rather than at a noble estate, as it was during last year's Greißler trip."

I understood Yousef's dilemma—he couldn't make progress on his research without bringing Heidi, but the guest quarters attached to a noble estate were too stressful for her. I nodded.

"If that would make it easier for you, I'll negotiate with Leisegang to prepare lodging in the Common Town."

"Thank you very much."

Not just Yousef, but Zack and Johann also looked relieved.

The departure date for Leisegang would be the same as last year: after we had finished the Prayer Ritual in our direct territory. I asked them to be ready to leave immediately after, and since they had grown accustomed to long-term trips by now, no one's expression changed as they nodded.

After the winter report and the Leisegang planning were concluded, I turned my gaze to the High Priest. He had said he had something he wanted to ask someone from the Common Town—that was why he was here.

"High Priest, you mentioned you had something you wished to ask someone from the Common Town?"

At my words, the High Priest looked up with an "Ah," and an indescribable tension filled the Gutenberg members.

"Is there a shop in Ehrenfest's Common Town that deals in magic stones?"

Benno and Mark tilted their heads, while the artisans who seemed to have something in mind looked at each other with expressions suggesting they couldn't figure out how to answer without being rude, pushing the right to speak back and forth.

"I am fully aware that it is presumptuous of me as a servant to speak, but please allow me to answer."

When the High Priest was growing irritated by the continued silence, the one who raised his hand to request permission to speak was Lutz, who had been standing behind Benno. Having grown up in the same environment as the artisans and been drilled in conversing with nobles through the Plantan Workshop, he was the ideal candidate.

The High Priest raised one eyebrow slightly, then granted Lutz permission to speak.

"In the Common Town, there are stone shops that will buy magic stones from magical beasts that failed to be properly butchered in the forest."

According to Lutz, there was a shop near the Western Gate's Market area that bought magic stones. I had never been hunting, so I hadn't known, but apparently when a Commoner failed to properly butcher a magical beast, they could still extract the magic stone, and a shop would buy it for somewhere between one medium copper coin and one large copper coin.

"What kind of magical beast's magic stones?"

"Mostly Schumil. If they're rare—like Eifint or Zantze—they'll buy them at a comparatively higher price."

...Schumil, those are Schwarz and Weiss's little cousins, right? They go and hunt them.

This was a shocking fact I was learning for the first time, but knowing the kind of life they had lived back then, I could understand it was unavoidable. I just didn't want to see it directly.

"Hmm. So these are low-quality magic stones. Do you know where the purchased magic stones end up being sold?"

"That would only be known to the stone shop owner or someone at the commercial guild."

"I see."

The High Priest fell into deep thought, so I left him to it and turned to Benno.

"Benno, how are things with the Claissenbourg merchants? Last time at the castle, there were other Aub present, so you couldn't speak freely, could you?"

I had thought I was being considerate, but Benno shot me a smile that was practically a glare. I felt as though he was scolding me, "Don't ask about that here either, with the High Priest and noble retainers around, you idiot." However, the High Priest aside, I didn't think the number of nobles present would decrease any further going forward.

"Darua is excellent. I believe the rest of my report has been submitted in writing."

"I've read with great interest the information about Claissenbourg and the other provinces. However, I wasn't able to discern the character of Karin—the source of that information—or the extent of the information flowing to them. I'd like to hear from Benno, as the person responsible."

When I fixed Benno with a steady gaze, he yielded, lowering his eyes.

"She apparently wasn't informed that she would be left behind in Ehrenfest. She usually puts on a brave front, but occasionally she has a worried look on her face. I was wary of her making contact with the intermediary handling information, but she hasn't made contact since the end of autumn."

"What do you intend to do about Karin, Benno?"

At my question, Benno slowly rubbed his chin.

"At this point, nothing special. I'll treat it the same as a regular Darua ending her Contract—no issue."

...So he wasn't going to make her his wife.

Since Corina had said their relationship might change by the end of winter, I'd had a little hope, but apparently nothing had changed. I was disappointed—I'd been looking forward to Benno's star-binding ceremony.

"Is that so? From what Otto and Corina told me, I was wondering if you might be able to give a blessing at the next star-binding ceremony..."

"That is completely out of the question."

Benno's reddish-brown eyes were practically shouting, "Stop saying ridiculous things!" After a brief shudder, I thought from the bottom of my heart that I was glad I was surrounded by Guard Knights. That anger should have been directed at Otto and Corina—the Guild Master who had tried to make Karin Benno's wife. I wasn't the one who had brought it up first.

"The critical moment to watch for regarding Karin, I believe, will be from the end of spring into summer—when Karin's father arrives. Merchants' matters will be handled among merchants. I won't cause trouble for the Aub of Ehrenfest."

Watching Benno resolve to keep everything within his reach, I slowly nodded.

"I trust your judgment and resolve, Benno. ...Even so, if you find that you need my help, please tell me."

"You honor me."

Benno gave a bow of thanks, but then let out a defiant little huff of a laugh. I got the distinct impression he had just said, "Stop talking big and leave it to me, you idiot."

--- I've returned to the Temple.

I obtained a mattress at the meeting with Gutenberg! A massive improvement to my sleeping environment.

The High Priest has already set his sights on it.

I tried bringing up the topic of Benno and Karin, but there was no harvest.

Next up: fish butchering.