"Ahhh, it's all tattered…"
"Mine too."
The prototype made from Trombe had turned out well, but the ones made from different materials didn't.
Was it because the fibers themselves lacked stickiness? Were the fibers shorter than expected? The fibers wouldn't entangle properly and wouldn't stick together, falling apart while drying.
"Would it be okay if we added more Tororo? What do you think?"
"We just gotta keep trying whatever we can think of."
To make the fibers bind more easily, we added extra Tororo, and to make it less likely to tear, I tried making slightly thicker paper next.
"How about this?"
"Won't know until it dries, but I hope it works."
The paper made with extra Tororo and thickly pressed had hardened completely solid, and while peeling it off the board, it cracked with a snap. I stared in disbelief at the fragments scattering and falling down.
"That's a failure, right?"
"Yeah. It didn't so much tear as shatter. Either way, it's definitely not paper."
Was the ratio of fibers to Tororo to water off? Were the materials simply incompatible? I couldn't tell.
I'd read in books that you could make something vaguely paper-like from plants, but here my common sense just doesn't work. Failures keep coming out that make me want to scream, "How did it even come to this?"
"I wish we could just mass-produce Trombe."
"Can't be done!"
"If we had Trombe seeds, couldn't we manage somehow?"
I thought that if we had red fruits like the ones I'd picked back then, harvesting Trombe wouldn't be that difficult, but
"Don't go looking for stuff like that! You trying to destroy the whole forest?!"
"If we had seeds, couldn't we gather everyone to harvest them right as they start growing, like last time?"
If we didn't know when they'd appear, that would be a problem, but if we found seeds and had people waiting in ambush, then let the Trombe grow, I thought we could handle it.
But Lutz pressed his temples and insisted it was absolutely out of the question.
"Trombe could appear at any time! It's way too dangerous!"
"I see."
It seemed that back then, I'd just happened to pick up Trombe seeds that were about to sprout, and not every seed would necessarily grow right away.
Since Lutz was getting so angry, I gave up on the quirky little sprout tree.
"…Hurry up and get used to this world's common sense already."
"I'm trying my best, you know."
Because Mine had barely ever left home since birth, the memories of Honobono Reina, who I believed to be from a previous life, were longer and more vivid, so I couldn't help relying on Reina's memories for all my judgment.
However, after talking with Lutz about the existence of a separate set of memories inside Mine, lately whenever I strayed into off-kilter thinking, Lutz would correct me.
"Anyway, Trombe is dangerous. When it grows, it drains all the vitality from the surrounding soil, and where Trombe has sprouted, nothing will grow for a while. Mass production is impossible."
"Whaat!? It was that dangerous!? Nothing like that happened last time, did it?"
"That's why I told you it was strange! Weren't you listening?"
"I had no idea what regular Trombe was like or how the strange kind was different."
Trombe had the best quality, but since it was a tree that only appeared in autumn and was far too dangerous, mass production was out of the question.
Rather than longing for something impossible, it was more productive to think about what could be done with what we had, so I kept on experimenting.
Then, around that point, I considered various ratios to make paper that could be mass-produced using commonly available wood, tried crushing the fibers further, experimented using Slarmo bug Tororo instead of Edil fruit, and made small improvements bit by bit.
"Of these, Forin is the best suited."
"Yeah. Forin mixed with a bit extra Slarmo bug Tororo looks like it could be commercialized."
After testing with three types of softer wood the lumber shop had taught us about, the wood called Forin allowed us to make the thinnest paper.
Forin's fibers were slightly harder than the other two, so beating it was tough, but the more we beat it, the more stickiness came out of the fibers. Once we figured that out, we could produce relatively good paper by beating it thoroughly.
And, by gradually changing the ratio when making the paper slurry, I discovered the ratio that seemed best. I wrote the ratio I'd found on the slate and flicked the dust off my fingertips with a pat.
"Shouldn't this work?"
"Yeah. If we follow this recipe, mass production looks doable."
With the ratio finally found, Lutz's expression brightened too. He kept running his finger over the finished paper with a pleased look.
"But mass production'll have to wait until spring. It's hard to gather wood right now, and the bark keeps getting tougher as winter approaches."
"Yeah."
It would probably produce better paper if we went to gather soft wood or soft branches once the season of spring's breath arrived.
Plus, it was already too cold a season to soak bark in the river. For Lutz's sake too, I wanted to wait until it warmed up.
"Then let's bring the finished paper to
"Yeah. Winter Preparations'll be getting into full swing before long, so let's get it done quick."
"Mm. Tomorrow I'm going to the Gate to have Otto teach me how to write a letter of gratitude. We went to all the trouble of making paper. I want to give him a thank-you letter."
At my suggestion, Lutz nodded and gathered up today's failed pieces, stacking them together.
"Leave the letter of thanks to me. And these failed ones—Mine, you're taking them home, right?"
"Mm. I'll bring the successful paper to Benno, but the ones with holes or that I messed up peeling off, I'll use to make books."
I'd already confirmed with
The next day, I went to the Gate for the first time in a while. As the winter accounting period approached, documents requiring calculations seemed to be piling up, and Otto welcomed me with a beaming face.
"Hey, Mine-chan! I've been waiting for you."
He patted the wooden tablets stacked beside him and beckoned me over with a big grin. He must have been right in the middle of tallying up item names and quantities from the wooden tablets and entering them into documents.
While helping him with that, I decided to ask Otto about how to write a thank-you letter.
"Otto, I want you to teach me how to write a letter of gratitude."
"A thank-you letter? Like the ones nobles exchange with each other?"
Well, it doesn't have to be specifically a noble thing— I started to say, but stopped. Perhaps it was a custom practiced only among nobles.
"I thought that if there's a letter of introduction, shouldn't there also be a thank-you letter for the introduction? Or… maybe there isn't?"
"Among nobles, I know such things exist, but merchants wouldn't bother writing one. It'd be wasteful to use paper for something that isn't even a Contract."
Indeed, paper was expensive, and not something you could use so casually.
"Then how should I show my gratitude?"
"For a merchant, the normal way is to give the other person something they want from among the goods you handle. Whether you have a servant carry it or bring it yourself, you give goods, not a letter."
I'd assumed there was a format for thank-you letters, like with letters of introduction, and that I'd make a thank-you letter from the finished paper, but apparently thank-you letters weren't used and giving goods was the norm.
"…Wow, I didn't expect that. Hey, Otto. What do you think would be good to give Benno? I can't think of anything I or Lutz could give him at all."
I couldn't think of a single thing among my possessions that Benno would want. Benno seemed like he already had everything.
Otto gave a slight shrug and offered his advice.
"Why not the paper the two of you made? That's the only product you deal in, right? And if it has commercial value, it'll recoup his initial investment, so it'd be the best thing for Benno. Other than that… some information about a new product, maybe."
"I understand. Thank you, Otto."
Raising the commercial value of the paper and providing information on a new product… Maybe that could work.
The very next day, I proposed to Lutz that we make paper as a gift of thanks.
"Apparently, the merchant way of showing gratitude is to give something from your products that the other person would like. So I want to make some special paper using Trombe. You still have some of that white Trombe bark left, right?"
"Yeah. For a gift to the Master, you'd want the best paper, right? …Mine, what are you holding there? Is that Regulus?"
I looked down at the red leaves in my hand.
"Is that what it's called? It was growing around the well, so I picked some yesterday and tried pressing them like pressed flowers."
"What are you going to use that for?"
"What do you think? To put in the paper, obviously."
Regulus was a plant that looked like a red clover. I'd gotten the idea to embed it in the paper as a substitute for autumn leaves pressed between layers of washi.
I made a message card with Regulus arranged along the edge like a bookmark or letter paper design, and a piece of paper like chiyogami with small torn bits of Regulus scattered across it in a heart pattern.
On the message card, I'd write "Thanks to Benno, this paper is complete. Thank you," in both my and Lutz's names.
"This paper is really beautiful."
"Since Regulus is pressed inside, it looks vivid like a picture's been drawn on it, doesn't it?"
"What about this one?"
"It's going to be 'origami.'"
"Ori-gami?"
The chiyogami-style paper was cut into a square with a knife and then folded into a celebration crane.
From my old memories, when I'd gone abroad, paper shuriken had been the biggest hit, but here nobody would know what a shuriken was, and making something large like a kusudama ball would require too much paper.
A celebration crane was easy to make with a single sheet and looked impressive. It spread out behind it like a peacock, making it look more elaborate than a regular paper crane.
"How is it? It looks impressive, doesn't it?"
"…Th-that's incredible. How does paper end up like this? I had no idea what Mine was doing."
Lutz poked the crane cautiously with his fingertip.
His manner of handling it made me suddenly realize something.
What's the production cost of this paper crane?
"…Come to think of it, paper decorations are super extravagant, aren't they?"
"Well, I mean, it's for the Master, so it's fine, right?"
I'd thought origami was nice because it was casual and easy yet unique, but when I considered the price of paper here, I might have done something terribly wasteful.
…Maybe I should tell Benno that if you unfold and flatten it, it still has a lot of creases but is usable?
"I was also told to come up with information about something that could become a new product…"
"That kind of thing, you'd be better at figuring out, Mine."
Lutz deflected it back to me in a casual tone.
It wasn't that I had no ideas at all, but since I didn't know if it would really sell, I wanted to hear Lutz's opinion.
"…When we first met, Benno showed interest in hairpins, so I thought maybe a hairpin would work, but it's basically just a wooden stick, isn't it?"
When I pointed at my own head, Lutz nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. It's just a stick."
"You think it could be a product?"
"…Since you can make it yourself, nobody would go out of their way to buy one, right?"
Even if it was unique, I didn't think it would become a product, and Lutz's prediction was the same.
"For a hairpin that could be a product, wouldn't that one work? …You know, like the hairpin Turi wore at her
"Lutz, you're a genius! That did get a great reaction from everyone! It might be just right for winter work."
Now I had something prepared to give Benno. Next, I needed to find out when he was available and arrange a meeting.
"Hey, Lutz. When you return the key today, could you ask Mark about Benno's schedule for me?"
"Sure, no problem."
On the day Mark had specified, Lutz and I brought the paper we'd made together.
The finished products came in two types—Trombe and Forin—with three different thicknesses, giving us six varieties of paper in all.
Along with that, I packed the message card decorated with Regulus and the celebration crane for Benno, and lastly, the hairpin I wanted to discuss, which I'd made for Turi, into the tote bag.
"Good morning, Benno. I've made paper prototypes, so I've brought them. Thanks to your initial investment, they turned out really well."
"I heard from Otto, but they're already done?"
"Yes. Here."
I took the paper out of the tote bag and spread it across Benno's desk.
Benno's eyes widened slightly as he looked at the paper, then he reached for the first sheet.
"Let me check these over."
After holding them up to the light and feeling the texture, Benno took out ink. He cut off a small section from the top and ran a pen across it.
"…It's writable. Less snagging than Parchment, easy to write on, though there's a little bit of bleed. Not enough to be concerned about, though… Hmm."
"Does it pass? Can Lutz become an apprentice?"
While stroking his chin, Benno grinned and reached for the next sheet.
"Right, that was the promise. How many of these can you make?"
"Well, these were just prototypes, so for serious production, we'd need to make the tools bigger. This is too small. What's the most commonly used paper size at the Gate?"
The letters of introduction I'd seen at the Gate were all different sizes, so I didn't know what standard to aim for.
A Screen Frame big enough to make proper washi was far too large, requiring enormous force to use. It would be pointless if Lutz and I couldn't make clean paper with it, so we wanted to mass-produce the most commonly used size.
"…Well, the kind used for letters of introduction and Contracts is roughly this size. It's not strictly standardized."
The Parchment Benno took from the shelf and showed me was about A4 to B4 in size. It was a manageable size for shaking a Screen Frame.
"Then I'd like to have a new Screen Frame made to that size. But the actual paper production won't start until spring. We can't gather materials right now."
"Just have the tools ready by spring. Ask Mark to handle it. This is definitely viable as a product."
"Yes!"
Benno had approved the paper. I was so happy that our efforts had paid off that Lutz and I looked at each other and smiled.
"The quality of this one is better."
What Benno touched and said this about was the paper made from Trombe. The difference in quality was apparent at a glance. The whiteness and smoothness were in a completely different league.
"This one uses Trombe."
"Trombe!?"
Benno looked up in shock, glancing between me and Lutz.
As expected, Trombe really was famous as a fairly dangerous plant. I stepped back and left the explanation to Lutz so I wouldn't let anything slip.
Seeming to get my intent, Lutz stepped forward and spoke.
"While we were gathering materials in the forest, Mine spotted one that had just started growing, and we managed to get some by chance. It's difficult to obtain and unstable, so I don't think we can make much."
"Well, I suppose so… But Trombe, huh."
I could read like the back of my hand that Benno was desperately calculating in his head whether it could somehow be mass-produced. He had that merchant's calculating look, but since it was so rare, it wouldn't be easy to get.
"After testing several options, Trombe had the best quality, but if we can't get the materials, it won't work as a product. This, on the other hand, is paper made using Forin. For actual commercial production, this material would be much better suited for mass production."
"I see. Forin would indeed be well-suited for mass production."
Benno nodded repeatedly, seeming satisfied with the paper, so I brought out the gift of thanks.
"Also, this… is a letter of thanks for you, Benno. When I asked Otto, he said that adding commercial value to the paper we'd made would be the thing most appreciated, so I made some special paper."
"A thank-you letter? I've sent them to high-ranking nobles, but I've never received one myself. How should I say this… I feel like I've made it."
With a pleased smile, Benno opened the message card, then froze with the card in his hands, eyes slightly widened.
"I, um, added Regulus during the pressing process. …How is it?"
"Huh? Regulus is just a weed that grows everywhere this time of year, isn't it? …Seeing it like this, it's beautiful. Something like this would probably go over well with noble ladies and young misses."
Benno immediately thought of the customer base, which was very reassuring from a merchant's perspective. The fact that he, with those merchant's eyes, judged it would sell to nobles meant I had successfully given it commercial value.
"Um, and this is more of a thank-you gift for your initial investment, I suppose… a paper decoration. It's called a 'celebration crane.'"
"Oh! This is made of paper?"
When I unfolded the flattened crane on his desk, Benno's eyes lit up and he picked it up. He examined it from various angles, but there was no use for it other than as a decoration.
"After making it, I realized it's actually quite an extravagant use of paper. It can only be used as decoration. Oh, but since it's just folded, if you unfold it there will be creases, but it's still usable as regular paper."
"No, a decoration is fine. It'd be great advertising for the paper we'd be selling."
Muttering that if they ended up selling paper, he'd put one on the shelf, Benno moved the celebration crane to his own shelf. It seemed the top of the shelf would serve as the crane's spot for a while.
Honestly, I hadn't expected to make someone this happy with origami. I sincerely felt it had been worth making as a gift.
"I'll be honest—I didn't expect paper could be made from wood. The quality is far better than what I'd predicted. From now on, this is fully viable as a product. Well done. I'm looking forward to spring when you can mass-produce."
At Benno's high praise, Lutz and I clasped hands and celebrated. Recalling the hardships of improving the quality, I couldn't help but tear up.
"We did it, Mine."
"It's because you worked so hard, Lutz."
While we celebrated, Benno gathered and neatly stacked all the paper on his desk.
"I'll buy this paper from you. I'll have the money ready when you leave, so call for Mark on your way out."
"Really!?"
Come to think of it, hadn't we discussed that until the Baptism Ceremony, the remainder after deducting material costs and sales commission would be our share?
First-ever cash GET!
I was thinking that making all the remaining white bark into paper and selling it might be a good idea, when I suddenly remembered—I'd brought Turi's hairpin to discuss whether it could be sold.
"…Oh, and Benno, there's something I'd like to consult you about. Could this be sold?"
I took out the hairpin I'd used for Turi's hair ornament and placed it on Benno's desk. The short hairpin was adorned with a bouquet of small blue and yellow flowers.
For some reason, upon seeing the hairpin, Benno's cheek twitched.
"What is this, miss?"
"It's a hair ornament. You use it to decorate your hair after tying it back with a ribbon. …Like this."
I demonstrated by inserting the hairpin next to my own.
"I made this for my sister's Baptism Ceremony, so it's not for sale, but during winter I'm thinking of making decorations like this as a handcraft. Could it be sold?"
When I asked, Benno, who had been staring at the hair ornament with glinting eyes, let out a low groan.
"…Yes."
"Then I'll make some. And since you'd be selling them, could I ask you to front this as an initial investment too?"
With a sigh, Benno looked at me. Was it my imagination, or did he look exhausted?
"What exactly do you need?"
"Thread. It doesn't have to be high quality, but I'd like as many different colors as possible."
Making everything in one color would be no fun, and everyone would want colors that suited them. It was better to have lots of colors and designs.
"Just thread? Anything else?"
"I'd be happy to have some wood, but we're already gathering wood for firewood, so nothing in particular."
"Are you making these all by yourself?"
Benno fixed me with a sharp stare.
Come to think of it, it was supposed to be "Mine designs and Lutz makes." Maybe I should have Lutz help.
"…The wood parts will be Lutz's job, and the decorative parts are my plan. Of course, we'll be making them together. Right, Lutz?"
"That's right. I'll handle the wood parts."
When I said that with a firm clench of my fist, Lutz hurriedly nodded too.
Benno looked back and forth between us as if he wanted to say something, but I covered it with a bright smile.
"Well, fine. But do you two have the time and energy to handle this going forward?"
"We'll be fine."
"Is that so. Then let me take you to the commercial guild."
"The commercial guild!?"
Whoa, another new term had popped up.
Was this a medieval-European-style guild, or a fantasy-style guild? What kind of place was it?
The prototypes were completed successfully and recognized by Benno.
Mine wisely collected the failed pieces for her own book-making project.
Next time, she goes to the commercial guild with Benno.