Contract Magic and Registering the Workshop
“Here you are, sir.” Mark set a sheet of contract paper used for magic contracts and a weirdly designed jar full of special ink on the table. I recognized them both.
Benno put his pen into the ink jar and started writing out the contract. The ink was blue rather than black, just as I remembered. I watched carefully as he wrote the text of the contract.
Lutz holds the right to sell goods created by the Myne Workshop. In order to establish a representative, one must first gain the approval of Myne, Lutz, and Benno, then submit an application to the Merchant’s Guild.
“What’s this line for?” I pointed at the contract and Benno raised an eyebrow.
“Insurance. If a contract involves just kids, some people will try to get around it through violence or kidnapping. I’m getting myself and the Guild involved to prevent that kind of thing as much as possible. When making contracts like these, it’s best to involve third parties you can count on supporting you. Remember that.”
“...Thank you.” He didn’t just suggest making a magic contract despite all the work involved for him, he even actively involved himself so he could help me if necessary. I took a pen from Mark and signed my name. Lutz followed with his and after Benno signed his own name, we prepared to stamp our blood onto it.
“Lutz, please.” I shut my eyes and held out my thumb so Lutz could cut it. Once he did, I pressed the welling blood against my signature.
The blue ink sucked up the blood and turned black just like last time. Once everyone stamped their name, the ink shone brightly, burnt away holes in the paper, and ultimately the paper itself disappeared. Again, just like last time. Benno let out a slow sigh as he watched the paper burn away brightly.
“At the very least, this ensures that you can keep selling products and see Lutz even if you get dragged to the nobles’ quarter. Learn how to protect yourself if you don’t want that to happen, Myne.”
I clenched my fist to show my determination and Benno, Lutz, and even Mark all grimaced with worry written on their faces.
“But remember. This contract will only work on people who know how valuable your products are.”
“Wha?”
“If a noble only cares about your mana, they won’t care at all about your products. Lucky thing is, I’m pretty sure there aren’t any nobles here rich enough to ignore how much money you could make them. Also, like I mentioned before, magic contracts only work in the town they’re signed in. Be careful.”
Once that was done, we wrote up an identical contract on normal parchment. It wouldn’t mean much to nobles, but it was important for reporting to the guild and proving that the contract existed in the event of something happening outside of the city.
“Let’s get this ball rolling today while the iron is hot. We’re heading to the Merchant’s Guild right away. We’ll register the Myne Workshop and establish you as its forewoman. That’ll let you make and sell products without any problems. It’ll also give you more power in negotiations by showing that you have options outside of the temple and are financially independent.”
The Merchant’s Guild was on the way home, so once we finished our business there, I would have time to relax. Benno hurried me up and after watching Lutz go upstairs to his room here to change, I looked up at him.
“What can I do to make my negotiations with the temple go well?”
“First of all, start by thinking about the best possible result for you. Figure out what you need to get from the other side to make that happen, think about what you can offer them, and think about what they want.”
As I listened to Benno talk, I thought about what I wanted from this. The first thing that came to mind was permission to enter the book room and read the books. Ideally, I would want to join the temple not as a gray-robed apprentice shrine maiden in order to avoid the arduous labor required of them. I could offer them mana and money. If Benno was correct, the other side wanted mana and money. Well... I guess these negotiations might work out, then?
“That reminds me, the High Bishop told me that I couldn’t belong to any other organization if I wanted to join the temple. He said he would try negotiating with the guildmaster, but do you think registering myself as a forewoman will get in the way of that?” I said, thinking about what the High Bishop had said, and in return Benno hit me with a sharp chop.
“Come on, Myne. Don’t count on others to do anything for you. Get involved yourself and secure your own position yourself. You don’t know what kind of unreasonable terms they’ll demand from you.”
“You’re right. To be honest, I never expected that the chalice would be able to extend my life like this. I just wanted to read books, and since I was dying in six months at best anyway, I didn’t care about anything else. I’ll accept that I was just counting on other people to do everything for me. But now that I’m probably going to survive and I’ve found a book room, I’m motivated to do whatever I can to get a better future for myself. I’ll work hard.”
“Use your head so that motivation doesn’t get wasted on nothing.”
“I’ll do better.”
Lutz came racing down the stairs. He must have really pushed himself, given how hard he was breathing. I looked up at the seven-floor staircase and felt awe in my heart for the heroic feat he had just accomplished. If I tried running up that staircase, I would definitely collapse before I even got to the top.
“Alright, let’s go.” Benno stuck his hands under my arms and lifted me up as if it were a matter of routine. Otto once told me that I walked far too slow for adults to bear, so lately I had just given in and accepted that it was my fate to be carried. Trying to resist would just tire me out more.
“If those joining the temple can’t belong to guilds and the like, you’ll end up as the only one in the temple capable of doing trade with the Merchant’s Guild. If the fact that you’re already registered isn’t enough to push past them, flash some money and force them to allow you to keep running your workshop.”
Benno continued his lecture even as we walked to the Merchant’s Guild, not wanting to waste even a second of time he could be using to formulate plans and teach me how to negotiate. I wanted to write down everything he said, and it was really frustrating that I couldn’t. I stared at Benno and worked every neuron in my brain to try and memorize as much of his advice as possible.
“Like I mentioned, it’s very possible that the lack of blue priests is resulting in unemployed orphans and a decrease in donations. List off a bunch of rubbish like you want to give them a future in life, you want to give them work, or you want to improve their living situation, whatever it takes to get their permission to keep your workshop running and yours. Those in the temple should at least be smart enough to know that everything runs on money.”
“Right.”
“While you’re at it, mention that you need someone to watch your health and work for you directly. Take a fact with a kernel of truth and exaggerate it as much as you have to in order to get people who will do physical labor for you. Lutz works for my store now and will be busy for at least half of each week.”
I nodded repeatedly and processed his easy-to-understand, concrete advice. Exploit the moral high ground to secure rights for my workshop, exaggerate my weakness to get workers. It was true that I would need help to run the workshop at all, rights or not.
“Once they learn that even orphans will work hard in workshops, it’s possible that other workshops might take orphans as well. Their attitude might change as they see orphans making the new products you think up. All this depends on your skill as a forewoman.”
“Okay. I’ll do my best.”
Benno wasn’t just thinking about me, he was even thinking about the orphans. That really impressed me, but he just shook his head and sighed. “Haaah... Do you ever think for yourself? Don’t just nod and try to do everything at once. Figure out your priorities ahead of time.”
“Bwuh? What do you mean?” I blinked in surprise at Benno’s sudden backlash and he furrowed his brows. Apparently, he had been testing me on something again.
“Prioritize yourself over the orphans until you’ve established your position inside the temple. Really, consider the orphans as tools to exploit by appearing as a savior to them. I hate to put it like this, but more people will care about you getting hurt than anyone will about those orphans.”
“...Okay.” I nodded just as we arrived at the Merchant’s Guild. Lutz pulled the door open to let us in and Benno grimaced a little.
“When you have stuff to sell, need some help, or are having problems, come talk to me. I’ll charge you for what the help’s worth, but I’ll be generous.”
“Thank you. This means a lot to me, Mr. Benno.”
It was late in the evening, and not many people were in the Merchant’s Guild. We passed by the first two floors in no time and headed to the third floor’s counter. We returned our temporary guild cards and gave them the documents Benno had prepared since long before our baptism to register us officially. The documents identified the Gilberta Company as our affiliated shop with Lutz as the intermediary.
“Why hello, Myne. You’re finally here?” Freida came walking down the stairs with her light-pink twintails bobbing and came running over after seeing me fishing through the bookshelf in the waiting area. “I thought you would arrive to be registered right after the ceremony, but I haven’t seen you since. I had begun to worry that you had collapsed during your baptism.”
“Ahaha, well, that’s what happened. I actually did collapse. It took until now for me to get better,” I explained, laughing a little at the fact Freida had predicted exactly what happened. She glared at Lutz, who was looking at a spread open map.
“To think that you would collapse with Lutz by your side.”
“It’s not Lutz’s fault at all. Really, it’s all on me.” My sides exploding at the Gl*co Man pose and me going crazy over the book room were both entirely my fault. It was so much my fault that Lutz deserved a groveling apology from me, to be honest.
“Hey, Myne. Get over here.”
Our new guild cards had been finished while I talked to Freida. She went back behind the counter to work and I stayed behind to get the details on my new card. I gasped in fear when they explained that the new card had carried over everything from the temporary card, but needed a new blood seal.
“Give it up, Myne.”
I poked my finger with the given needle and pressed the welling blood against the card, making it shine. Thus completed the registration. It was simple but painful. We paid the registration fee of five small silvers and the clerk began explaining the difference between a temporary guild card and a forewoman card. Freida overheard that and peered over at me.
“My my, the Myne Workshop? Were you not becoming a merchant apprentice at the Gilberta Company?”
“I gave up on that since I’m too weak to hold a stable job.”
“In that case, may I suggest that you sell your products to the Othmar Company as well?” Freida’s eyes immediately shone with the sharp glint of a merchant seeking profit.
I looked away. “Aaah, sorry. We have it set up so Lutz sells what I make to Mr. Benno’s store.”
“...Lutz again, hm?” Freida pursed her lips unhappily, but what was done was done. I had given her exclusive rights to pound cakes and that would have to be enough for her.
“I already gave you the pound cake, didn’t I? How is it? Do you think it’ll sell well?”
“Indeed, I am having Leise experiment with new flavors. I would like to hear your opinion before we put them on the market. Please come and taste test them, if you would. How about tomorrow?”
I mean, I do want to eat the cake. I do think sweet things are just perfect when life is being particularly hard. But I won’t have the time to taste test sweets until I’m done negotiating with the temple.
“Thanks for the offer, but my plans are packed for tomorrow.”
“What about the day after that, then? You could bring your sister if she would like to come. That will mean Lutz doesn’t have to come, correct?” Freida was utilizing Tuuli to neutralize Lutz. He glared at her harshly, looking close to biting her. Which reminded me that she had blown Lutz off last time by having Tuuli ride the carriage.
“Freida, don’t be mean. It’ll taste better if everyone eats together. And if Leise is experimenting with flavors, there must be a lot of cake.”
“That is true, but...” Freida looked unsatisfied, so I started thinking of how I could turn her emotional invitation into a business one.
“I think that the taste tests will do better at predicting future sales if more people are there to give varied opinions. Kids and adults want different flavors, not to mention girls and boys, so.”
“...More people? Varied opinions? A tea party will hardly last with a large group of people.” Freida’s eyes had the sharp look of a merchant. However, it seemed that now she was thinking about holding a tea party without even thinking about Lutz. I started piling on follow ups to try and get her to agree to Lutz coming over.
“It doesn’t have to be a big get together or anything. You can cut pieces of different pound cakes into bite sized pieces and formally ask people which they liked the most. That way, Lutz can...”
“That’s a perfect idea!” Before I could finish what I was saying, Freida clapped her hands together, eyes shining. Her expression made it clear she was already completely on board with my suggestion. She looked really happy and excited, but at the same time, it felt like she wasn’t even looking at me anymore.
“I’ll contact you when the date of the taste testing event is decided. Of course, your sister and Lutz can both come. Aaah, I will be ever so busy. Farewell, Myne, Lutz. Have a good evening.”
Freida turned on a dime and raced back up the stairs, wanting to immediately implement the plans she had just thought up. I could imagine she was about to discuss the taste testing event with the guildmaster. I wasn’t sure why she was that excited about it, but since she ultimately invited Lutz with me, I had no complaints.
I watched Freida go, excited to eat all sorts of cake after all this business with the temple settled down, but my happy thoughts were interrupted by Lutz sighing.
“See? Freida and Myne are just alike, aren’t they?” he said. I turned to see Benno cackling and nodding.
By the time we finished the paperwork and left the Merchant’s Guild, even the long-lasting summer sun was on the verge of setting. The once-busy plaza now had just a few scattered people walking about. Lutz and I began our way home. As I watched our long shadows, I felt Lutz’s hand squeeze mine.
“What’s wrong?” I stopped and looked up at Lutz. He was looking back down at me, his expression twisted with a complex storm of emotions from angry to tearful. He let out a mumble that fell to the shadowy ground.
“...You’re really joining the temple?”
“Mhm, probably. If Benno was right about all that, I don’t think the temple will let me get away from them. You heard what he said, didn’t you?”
Lutz squeezed his lips together tightly, then looked at me anxiously. “You think you’ll be able to negotiate with them?”
The setting sun cast thick shadows on his face, making him look even more tearful and anxious. I could feel him squeezing my hand increasingly hard. I smiled, wanting to help calm him down as much as possible.
“I’ve never negotiated with nobles before, so I’m not sure. But if the grail really is a magic tool that can keep my Devouring in check, then joining the temple will be good for me, not to mention that I want to read the books in the book room. But I won’t survive as a gray shrine maiden. It all depends on how negotiations go. I’ll work as hard as I can to put myself in as best a situation as possible there.”
“Yeah... Good luck.” Lutz briefly scrunched up his face as if in pain, then lowered his eyes and resumed walking.
For a bit we walked next to each other in silence. Lutz looked up, pretending to be curious about a passing carriage, but then swallowed down whatever he wanted to say. I was getting more and more curious as we kept walking in silence.
“Um, Lutz. If you want to say something, don’t hold back. I’ll listen.”
Lutz stopped and opened his mouth, then closed it. After a moment of thought, he looked away from me. “...It’s lame, I don’t wanna say it.”
As curious as I was, it would probably be wise to respect the male desire to act cool. I nodded and resumed walking.
Our silence continued. The sounds of people rushing home just like us clattered on the stone roads, and the bustle of home life could be heard from surrounding windows, but the air between Lutz and I remained heavy and silent. The sun finished setting and the shadows on the streets fused together, blanketing the city in thick darkness which made it harder to see.
“...You said we’d make paper and start selling real books together. Myne, you liar.” Lutz’s murmur was nearly lost among the clattering of a passing carriage, but I heard it. His complaint that he had wanted to say but never found the opportunity to until now pierced my heart.
“Sorry, Lutz.”
“I know I’m too weak to do anything about this. Benno’s right, and I want to help you as much as I can to keep you safe there.” Lutz gritted his teeth. “But... I hate this. You said we’d start a bookstore together...”
“I did. But just remember, I want to make books so I can read them. I won’t stop making books because I’m joining the temple. Really, I’m going to work harder now that I’m going to survive longer. My dream won’t come true unless I spread books across the world,” I said, which made Lutz look up. He shrugged with a forced, tearful smile.
“Your dream of being surrounded by books you spend every day reading?”
“That’s right. You want to be a merchant, right? You want to go all over the world as a merchant? I have my own dream too. Let’s both work hard to make our dreams come true,” I said.
This time, Lutz really did come close to breaking into tears. Despite the darkness, I could clearly see the tears welling in his eyes. “I want to help you. But... I’ve come this far because I was with you. I wanted to work hard in Benno’s store with you. I want to keep doing things with you,” said Lutz before hugging me and burying his face in my shoulder. I could hear him desperately holding back quiet sobs.
“It’ll be okay. We can still do things together after I join the temple. I’ll definitely keep making books.”
“No. That’s not what I mean. I don’t want to sell books you made with someone else, I want to sell books we made together.”
The dam had broken and Lutz was letting all of the frustration he’d been keeping inside come flowing out. He shook his head as if defying reality and I felt a twinge of pain in my chest. Tears came dripping out of my own eyes. I hugged Lutz back, embracing him and his frustration as I patted his back gently.
“Nothing will be different from what we planned. You’ll make the things I think up, right? When I have new ideas, I’ll talk to you first. Before Benno, before anyone, I’ll ask for your help.”
“Even though I can’t do anything?” Lutz looked up, shocked. I wiped away the tears on his cheek and smiled.
“If you can’t do anything, what in the world can I do? Is there anything? And well, who else but you will stick around and help me make the weird things I come up with? I need you. I won’t be able to do anything without you.”
“...Nah. Everyone already knows the stuff you make is worth money. They’ll help you.” Lutz pursed his lips and hurriedly wiped away his tears, embarrassed that he had started crying. He then stood up straight, having calmed himself down by spitting out all his built-up frustration.
“Mmm, the only thing I can see happening is other people trying to help me, failing, and ultimately calling you over to get through to me. Will you still help me when that happens?”
I shrugged and Lutz finally laughed. He squeezed my hand and walked forward, his bright smile contrasting with our increasingly dark surroundings.
“Don’t sweat it. I’ll make anything you think up, no matter what.”
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