Illgner’s Harvest Festival
As I was glaring at the lists, struggling to memorize them all, the flapping wings of an ordonnanz came into earshot. The bird flew into the room and landed on Brigitte’s arm.
“You’ll be arriving tomorrow evening? Got it. I’ll discuss dinner plans with them later,” it said in Giebe Illgner’s voice. “Could you tell Lady Rozemyne that the Harvest Festival is scheduled for the day after tomorrow? Also, make sure you speak to her about what we discussed. I’m counting on you.”
After repeating the message three times, the ordonnanz returned to the shape of a yellow feystone.
“My apologies, Lady Rozemyne. I informed my brother of our plans earlier, but I didn’t expect him to respond while I was on duty.”
“I don’t mind. Contacting the giebe is part of your job. How are things in Illgner?”
Now that my gathering was complete, Illgner was next up on my list of worries. They had hurriedly begun educating their people in preparation for Ferdinand’s visit, but I still wasn’t sure how tomorrow would go.
“Things are starting to take shape. I’m told the gray priests have been working exceptionally hard.”
“I see. That’s good,” I said quietly, letting out a small sigh of relief. “I... do apologize for all this. It never even crossed my mind before Ferdinand pointed it out...”
Brigitte blinked in confusion. “Lady Rozemyne?”
“I quite like how close the commoners are with the nobles in Illgner, and up until recently, I assumed it wouldn’t be an issue so long as I handled things myself. I never thought that Ferdinand would personally travel there, or that other nobles would start visiting to observe the paper-making process.”
Going forward, my discussions with giebes about expanding the printing and paper-making industries would be held at the archduke’s castle. I had assumed that the Rozemyne Workshop in the temple would suffice for those who wanted to learn more about both industries, especially considering that Illgner was so far away, but the reality was that visiting the temple wasn’t considered at all worthwhile from a noble’s perspective.
The blood really had drained from my face when Ferdinand pointed out that no noble would want to visit the temple. Plus, even those who didn’t mind going there wouldn’t find it a meaningful reference, since the workshop there—ran directly by the archducal family—had unusual financing and labor arrangements.
“Please do not feel responsible for this, Lady Rozemyne. This is something that we should have understood on our own, without you or Lord Ferdinand pointing it out to us,” Brigitte said. She then paused, hesitating for a moment before she continued. “Lady Rozemyne, there is something I wish to ask you. May I have a moment of your time?”
“I have been instructed to stay in my room for the entire day, so of course. It is rare for you to bring something up on your own, though.”
After informing Damuel that she would be taking a temporary break from guard duty, Brigitte turned to face me; I assumed she wanted to talk about the “what we discussed” that the ordonnanz had mentioned. I straightened my back and looked at her, wondering what it could be.
“Lady Rozemyne...” Her amethyst eyes wandered uncomfortably as she seemed to question whether it was actually a good idea to ask me about this, her gaze eventually resting on the floor. “You mentioned at Hasse that gray priests are not permitted to marry. Is that true?”
“Yes. Gray priests are indeed not permitted to marry.”
“I knew it...” Brigitte muttered, the disappointment clear on her face. I couldn’t quite understand her reaction.
Why is she upset about that...? Hm... Wait, does Brigitte...? Oh no, Damuel! There was an ambush lying in wait, and we never saw it coming!
“Um, Brigitte... you don’t happen to love a gray priest, do you?” I asked timidly. Both her and Damuel responded with a wide-eyed stare and a loud “WHAT?!”
“No! I’m not asking for myself!” Brigitte exclaimed, hurriedly shaking her head upon seeing how shocked Damuel was. “What are you even saying, Lady Rozemyne?!”
She had rejected the idea so firmly that both Damuel and I exhaled a relieved breath. “I just thought that might be the case, since you looked sad about gray priests being unable to marry,” I explained.
“Both in terms of status and mana capacity, it is unthinkable for a noble to even consider marrying a gray priest. I am asking on behalf of a citizen in Illgner,” Brigitte said, shooting a small glare my way before letting out a disappointed sigh.
I was relieved to hear that the townsfolk were still close with the nobles in Illgner, but the situation as a whole made me a little nervous. I tried to recall what I knew about gray priests.
“It’s not an absolute impossibility... Giebe Illgner could purchase the gray priest in question and remove them from the temple’s hierarchy, at which point he could permit the marriage himself,” I suggested.
While I personally didn’t feel right about people being bought and sold, it was exceedingly normal for nobles to buy gray priests and shrine maidens here—they were usually put to work as servants, clerks, and so on. I certainly didn’t mind selling a gray priest if doing so meant he could get married and be happy, and I would gladly use my position as High Bishop to bless his marriage and reward him for all the work he had done.
“Lady Rozemyne, may I inform my brother of this immediately? Assuming he is indeed able to buy the priest and allow him to stay in the winter mansion this winter, then it would be best for them to participate in the upcoming marriage ceremony.”
“...I will need to ask Ferdinand about this first. I’ve been told to speak to him before doing anything.”
I asked Fran to pass a meeting request on to Ferdinand, only for him to return with a lecture. “I believe I told you to stay in your room all day and read,” the response had apparently been.
Having no other choice, I told Fran to go back with a new message: “I will need an answer before we arrive at Illgner, but if you are too busy, I can simply handle this on my own.”
Ferdinand bitterly relented to a meeting at noon, during which I told him about the gray priest who wanted to get married. His response was the same as mine.
“That is perfectly acceptable so long as Giebe Illgner buys him. I assume he wishes to get married during the Harvest Festival the day after tomorrow, in which case prompt arrangements will need to be made. I shall prepare the— No, you shall prepare the documents in your room. I will prepare no more than the registration medal for you,” Ferdinand said, swiftly ending the conversation by shooing me away.
And so I returned to my room, where, under Fran’s supervision, I started writing up the documents required to purchase a gray priest. It was a depressing thought knowing that I was now personally involved in the buying and selling of people so long after Ferdinand had first mentioned it, but at the same time, I was glad that the gray priest would get to be happy and married.
“How are marriages celebrated, Fran?”
“I do not know. As far as I am aware, no gray priest has ever married before,” he replied frankly before lowering his eyes and apologizing.
Sensing the conflicted emotions stirring inside him, I placed a hand on my cheek. “Do you want to get married too?”
“I do not. I am satisfied with my current life, and truthfully... I am not even certain what marriage truly is. Were I ever put in a situation where I was forced to marry, I would surely be deeply troubled,” Fran said, knowing nothing except life in the temple.
His response made me a little concerned. “Do you think the woman in Illgner may be forcing the gray priest to marry her against his wishes?”
“That is not even worth thinking about; if the giebe decides to purchase the gray priest, then it is only natural that the gray priest be sold,” Fran replied. His expression made it clear that he thought I was being too soft again.
There was no denying that the selling of gray priests to whichever nobles wished to buy them was common practice, but I wanted the gray priest to be as happy as possible; I couldn’t help but hope that Giebe Illgner wasn’t just exploiting him.
I arrived at Illgner the next day with worry in my heart.
Unlike during our last visit, the commoners didn’t greet us with big waves, and there was no crowd waiting for us. Instead, they were all kneeling in wait, with Giebe Illgner at the front. Their positioning was a little clumsy, but it was minor enough to be forgiven, what with Illgner being a country province and all. It was clear from a glance that the gray priests had done all they could to train them, and the townsfolk had done all they could to learn.
“You must be tired after such a long journey. We can postpone dinner, so please use this time to rest at your leisure,” Giebe Illgner said after we had exchanged our long noble greetings.
With that, Ferdinand and I were taken straight to our rooms; our attendants had arrived earlier by carriage to ensure that all the necessary preparations were complete.
“I shall be going to the side building once I am changed. Fran, please gather all of the gray priests,” I said, promptly getting Monika and Nicola to help dress me for dinner. When I was ready, Monika stayed behind in my room while Nicola accompanied me.
I need to see things with my own eyes before speaking to the giebe... I’m the High Bishop, and I should know more about the situations my gray priests are in.
I hadn’t at all predicted the possibility of Giebe Illgner or his people forcing a gray priest into marriage. My mind was so focused on preventing the gray shrine maidens from being forced to provide flower offerings—due in part to what had happened to Wilma—that the possibility of something like this happening hadn’t even occurred to me. It wasn’t until Fran had shared with me his own perspective that I realized gray priests didn’t even have a strong conception of marriage, and now my heart was swirling with panic.
When I entered the winter mansion, Fran was standing by the room normally used by blue priests. “This way, Lady Rozemyne,” he said, gently opening the door for me. Inside, I could see Gil and four gray priests kneeling in wait.
“Gil, Nolte, Selim, Volk, Bartz—it is good to see you all again. Thank you for the hard work you have been doing. Brigitte and Giebe Illgner have told me much about your efforts.”
“We are honored.”
I sat in the chair that had been prepared for me and looked over the still-kneeling gray priests. “I will get straight to the point, for lack of time. An ordonnanz from Giebe Illgner informed me yesterday that one of you wishes to marry a citizen here. If this truly is the case, there are methods through which it can be accomplished. Which one of you might it be?”
All eyes fell on one person: Volk. He paled and hung his head.
“Do you wish to get married, Volk?”
“Forgive me, Lady Rozemyne.”
“It is nothing to apologize for. Fran told me that he knows so little of marriage that, if put in a situation where he was forced to marry someone, he would be exceedingly troubled. Gray priests have very little power and are used to accommodating any demands given to them, so before anything else, Volk, I would simply like to confirm your feelings. Neither Giebe Illgner nor the woman in question are forcing your hand here, are they?”
Volk shot up his head and shook it from side to side. “No, nothing of the sort,” he assured me.
I exhaled, relieved that my worst fears weren’t true after all.
“In that case, do you desire this wedding yourself? Are you prepared to leave the temple and spend the rest of your life in Illgner? If you live here permanently rather than simply spending a season here as a guest, I imagine that your habits and way of thinking will conflict with those of the natives quite regularly. Plus, you will likely struggle in many ways to establish an equal marriage as opposed to a master-servant relationship. Do you still wish to stay here, despite all that?”
After a period of silence, Volk opened his mouth to speak. “I... have many fears. Just like Fran,” he started, the words catching in his throat. “I do not truly understand what marriage entails... but even so... I wish to spend my life with her.”
“I am relieved that you are not being forced into this. As you will not be able to marry while serving as a gray priest, I will arrange the necessary documentation for Giebe Illgner to buy you from the temple. Is this okay with you?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The tension drained from my shoulders. I now knew which gray priest wanted to get married, and that he wasn’t being forced into it.
“I have a meeting with the giebe after dinner, so I must hurry back to my room,” I said. “I shall listen to your full report on the workshop’s results tomorrow.”
With that, I exited the side building and started heading back to my room as fast as I could. My plan was to make it seem like I hadn’t even left in the first place, but life wouldn’t make things so easy for me.
“Lady Rozemyne! The High Priest is calling for you!” Monika exclaimed, having rushed over from the summer mansion. Ferdinand had apparently sent one of his attendants to my room with an urgent message, and the blood drained from my face as I realized that this meant he had learned of my absence.
“So, Fran... Do you think I’m going to get lectured?”
“Considering that you acted without his permission while in the midst of using potions to forcibly maintain your health, I imagine so.”
Fran picked me up and we rushed to see Ferdinand. As expected, I was met with a sharp glare the second I stepped into his room.
“Why were you wandering about when you could collapse at any moment?” he asked.
“There was an urgent matter in the side building that I needed to address. I wanted to ask the gray priest planning to get married how he felt.”
“...My matter is urgent as well. Fill this out before signing the sales contract with Giebe Illgner.”
Ferdinand handed me back the contract that I had made under Fran’s supervision. I could see that he had added some lines to it: there was now a section for listing Volk’s abilities, and one for his experience in the workshop.
“He has knowledge of the paper-making process and is capable of teaching others about it. He also knows about printing and has experience printing things himself. And...”
I murmured to myself as I thought over Volk’s abilities and wrote down everything that he could do. When I was done, Ferdinand looked over the filled-out columns and frowned as he counted the number of entries.
“Rozemyne, have you discussed a price with Giebe Illgner?”
“No. I only learned of this matter through an ordonnanz for Brigitte, so we haven’t worked out any details yet. I thought we could just talk things over today.”
Just a few days ago, a commoner had apparently pleaded with Giebe Illgner, saying that she didn’t want to be separated from one of our gray priests. The giebe had been just as surprised as we were about the development, but so little had been said about it that I hadn’t even known it was Volk the woman was referring to until I went to the side building myself.
According to the ordonnanz, Giebe Illgner had prepared some money for the purchase, but since I hadn’t dealt with the sale of a gray priest before, I didn’t really know what kind of price to expect.
“The average price of a gray priest would be around five small golds, but this varies significantly based on their individual capabilities,” Ferdinand explained. “If we were to calculate a price using this table of skills and prices... he will certainly be quite expensive.”
“Volk was originally trained to be an attendant, he has deep knowledge of the paper-making and printing industries, and he’s skilled enough to have been sent to another region to establish a new business and actually succeed. Of course he would be expensive.”
That much was common sense—after all, there was nothing that my magnificent gray priests couldn’t do. I wouldn’t have been able to sell them for cheap anyway, since then there wouldn’t be anybody left to run the temple workshop. Now that would be a problem.
“Good. As long as you understand,” Ferdinand replied. “Take care not to be emotionally manipulated into lowering the price. I must also note that, as the High Priest, it is my duty to manage the sale of gray priests. You may be providing final approval, but in general, it will not be your place to meddle here.”
“I seem to recall the previous High Bishop forcing a contract with Dirk on his own terms,” I pointed out, causing Ferdinand to grimace.
“Hence my warning. High Bishops are higher in status than High Priests, so it is not that you cannot manage contracts, but rather that doing so is supposed to be the High Priest’s duty. Even your predecessor came to show me that contract with Dirk, though admittedly only once it had already been finalized. You may be a figurehead, but you are still the High Bishop, and I do not want you interrupting midway through the signing of Volk’s contract. If you have any concerns, state them now.”
“I’ve already confirmed Volk’s feelings, so I have nothing more to say on the matter.”
Sometime after meeting with Ferdinand, it was time for dinner with Giebe Illgner; we were having a meal in his mansion rather than an outside barbeque with everyone. Hugo had made the soup, but many of the other dishes were Illgner’s specialties, made with plenty of local ingredients.
Ferdinand seemed to be satisfied with things, which prompted Giebe Illgner to ease up a little more.
“Today’s soup is extraordinary. I would expect nothing less from your personal chef, Lady Rozemyne.”
“Your praise warms my heart. I shall pass it along to the chef as well.”
When the meal was over, we moved to the giebe’s office to start sorting out the contract. My attendants and I entered to find Volk standing beside a young, honest-looking woman—no doubt his marriage partner.
Giebe Illgner regarded the couple with a soft smile that greatly resembled Brigitte’s, and it was honestly a great relief to see how clearly he celebrated their union; while I knew that Volk wanted this marriage, deep down, I had still worried that he was being exploited.
Once Giebe Illgner had taken a seat, he promptly broached the subject. “Now then, High Bishop. About the sale contract for Volk...”
Before he could continue, however, I explained that the movement of priests was in fact under the purview of the High Priest. I gestured toward Ferdinand sitting beside me, who took the contract from one of his attendants, spread it out on the table, then pushed it over to the giebe.
“This is Volk’s sale contract. I suggest that you look over it.”
Giebe Illgner began reading at once, and an instant later, his eyes widened with shock. He looked between me, Ferdinand, and the contract multiple times, then over at Volk and the woman, before shutting his eyes tightly. “Is Volk truly this expensive...? The gray priest my father purchased a generation ago wasn’t nearly so pricey. I believe he was only a single small gold.”
“The value of a gray priest is determined by their abilities; that is the price of an apprentice capable of doing no more than simple serving work. Volk previously served as the attendant to a blue priest, and has thus been trained to serve nobles. He is also deeply involved with the printing and paper-making industries directed by Rozemyne. Is it not obvious that he would be expensive?”
Volk and the woman stiffened, desperately looking to the giebe for help. He gazed back at the contract as they watched him, then lowered his eyes with an extraordinarily troubled expression.
“The price is so much higher than expected. I... I don’t believe I can afford this.”
“N-No way...” I heard the woman whisper.
“How much were you expecting?” I asked. Since he had been basing his estimate on his father’s experience, I could assume that he had anticipated a price of a few small golds. But that wouldn’t do at all—Volk was worth two large golds and two small golds.
“...I expected a high price due to his numerous talents, but I was thinking five to six small golds at most.”
“You would have been right, were he not involved with the printing industry. But he is, and that constitutes the bulk of his worth,” Ferdinand said, crossing his arms. Whoever purchased Volk would essentially be buying his knowledge of paper-making and printing as well, and considering the value that would bring them, it wasn’t an option for us to lower the price.
“Lady Rozemyne...” Giebe Illgner looked my way, probably thinking that I would be more pliable than Ferdinand. But unfortunately for him, my financial negotiation skills came from Benno; I would probably be even harder to talk down.
Of course, I did want the marriage to happen and for love to be rewarded. I wanted to provide Volk with my support, since he was braving his fears to be together with this woman. But folding here would increase the likelihood of other nobles trying to get discounts as well. It was easy to imagine people accusing me of showing favoritism to Illgner, or holding faux marriages to manipulate my goodwill.
Benno had taught me to only lower prices after considering the consequences and determining whether I really wanted to take a loss, and so my only option here was to shake my head.
“I am afraid this is the end of our negotiations. No matter the circumstances, six small golds simply will not do,” I concluded.
Giebe Illgner looked at the couple in question, the despair clear on his face. “But Lady Rozemyne. Volk and Carya are truly in love, and—”
“Giebe Illgner, I am unsure what you are struggling to understand here, but gray priests are not permitted to marry. As you cannot afford to buy him, you have no right to speak about his future. We are finished here.”
“My... My sincerest apologies,” Giebe Illgner said, kneeling before Ferdinand with a bitter expression. At the same time, I heard Carya give a pained choke, no longer able to bear her suffering in silence.
The air in the room was so awkward and heart-rending that I found myself tugging on Ferdinand’s sleeve and whispering his name, hoping he could somehow resolve things.
“I am not the one who needs to act here,” he scoffed, looking at me with a displeased grimace. “Think. What would you do if you didn’t have the money for something?”
I immediately clapped my hands together. The solution was clear—Giebe Illgner would just need to earn the money to get what he wanted. Until then, I could keep Volk reserved, not selling him to anyone else.
“Giebe Illgner, I will grant you first purchase rights for Volk, so what do you say about spending one year earning the money that you need to buy him?” I suggested, but Giebe Illgner just hung his head sadly.
“It is unreasonable to earn that much money in a single year.”
“Then you need only try harder,” Ferdinand said, standing up from his chair. “Rozemyne, we are leaving.”
I stood up as well, and together we exited the room. When I glanced back, I saw that Giebe Illgner was cradling his head, Carya had broken down in tears, and Volk was grimacing in pain, seemingly on the verge of crying himself.
If they try really hard, I honestly do think they’ll be able to earn enough in a year.
Unlike before, Illgner now had newly developed paper. If they could find a niche that suited its quirks and then sell a ton, they would have more than enough to buy Volk. Lutz and I had made a ton of money super quickly when we first started making paper; they would simply need to do the same while there wasn’t any competition. This was their only opportunity.
“Is it just me, or is Giebe Illgner rather unskilled when it comes to business matters?” I mused aloud.
“It seems to me that he has poor negotiation skills in general.”
“Isn’t that kind of a fatal flaw for a noble...?” Negotiating and laying the groundwork for plans were the basic fundamentals of noble life—Ferdinand had made sure to beat that into me.
“You are correct,” Ferdinand replied with a nod, but then his expression became a difficult frown. He began to rub his temples while looking at me, seemingly searching for the right words, before finally opening his mouth again to speak. “Your business sense is quite abnormal for a noble, but putting that aside... you may give the giebe advice on how to earn money. Benno trained you in such matters, did he not?”
Whaaat?! Ferdinand showing other people compassion? That’s certainly rare to see, I thought, looking up at him in shock. He seemed to read me in an instant, though, and flicked my forehead with a glare. Ouchie!
And so came the day of the Harvest Festival. Celebrations were due to begin in the afternoon, so the townsfolk spent the morning enthusiastically making all the necessary preparations. I wasn’t usually exposed to this fervor, as things were normally ready by the time I arrived, but their excitement was infectious: it wasn’t long before I could feel myself eagerly awaiting the festival as well.
Brigitte was asking for the day off, and while there wasn’t much we could do with Ferdinand around, I did want her to enjoy the celebrations at home after being away for such a long time.
In the midst of all the bustle, I went to the side building with Fran and Damuel. Ferdinand was going to be taking care of the baptism ceremony and such, while the tax official he had brought with him would handle the province’s Harvest Festival. Justus had already gone home, so I was basically just a visitor this time.
I entered a room in the side building to find Gil, Lutz, and Damian in wait, each holding boards and diptychs with their reports and notes written on them.
“Gil—it is good to see you well. Lutz—thank you for your work. And Damian—thank you for spending so much time on this trip,” I began, praising the three for their work. “Now, what manner of paper have you created?”
Gil stepped forward first. “As a brief summary, we have made three new kinds of paper, namely from rinfin, nansebs, and effons. Schireis wood didn’t work well with the tororo we got from degrova leaves, so we plan to bring the inner bark back to Ehrenfest with us and experiment using shram bugs and ediles instead.”
“Three new kinds? That’s splendid news,” I said, earning me a happy smile from Gil.
“In the same way that trombe paper is fire-resistant, nanseb and effon paper might have special qualities of their own, given that they’re made from feyplants. We haven’t discovered what those are yet, though.”
“Thank you, Gil. I suppose that is something we will simply need to keep in mind. Be sure to look for any special reactions while using them.”
When Gil was done, Lutz stepped forward to give a report on the trauperles.
“Here is a white trauperle fruit. They are often gathered in Illgner at the start of autumn, but they’re too bitter to be used as food. The juice from them produces firm, silky smooth paper, so we would like to bring a large quantity back to Ehrenfest with us to experiment with other kinds of wood.”
“Paper made from trauperles might end up becoming an Illgner specialty,” I commented.
Finally, Damian—who was now a lot more suntanned than before he had arrived here—came over to discuss the pricing with me. We eventually settled on a figure for the three kinds of paper, and I took care to ensure that the Plantin Company wasn’t ripping me off.
“Now then,” Damian said, “I will make the contract and return when it is ready.”
With that, he exited the room. I looked around to confirm that Gil, Lutz, Fran, and Damuel were the only ones here, then smiled.
“Fran, could you stand watch outside the door for me?”
“...Please take care to keep your voices down,” he said with a defeated sigh before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him.
I leapt into Lutz’s arms at once. “Aaah, I was so lonely! There was nobody to hug me, I don’t get any letters from home... It just sucks.”
Lutz hugged me back, all the while shaking his head with blatant exasperation. Once my heart was sufficiently healed, I went and patted Gil on the head, saying that both he and Lutz had worked very hard.
“...So, how’d your gathering go?” Lutz asked.
“Eheheh. I’ve got all the ingredients now,” I boasted. “Impressed with how hard I’ve been working?” But as I proudly puffed out my chest, Damuel muttered “It was we guard knights who worked hard” behind me, causing Lutz and Gil to laugh.
I pouted, trying to explain that I’d worked hard too, but everyone was laughing too much to hear me. Soon enough, I was laughing along with them.
“Lutz! Lutz!” I chirped. “Now I’ll finally get to be a normal girl!”
I could live my life normally, not having to worry about collapsing after running or getting too excited. But despite my excitement, Lutz just gave me a dubious look. He furrowed his brow and crossed his arms.
“You’ll be healthy again, sure... but I don’t know if you’ll ever be a normal girl.”
“And what do you mean by that, exactly?”
“I mean that once you get healthy, it’ll be even harder to stop you from doing all sorts of crazy things, and you’ll stick out like a weirdo even more.”
“That’s so mean!” I protested, but both Gil and Damuel voiced similar opinions.
Then, as things started to calm down, Lutz gave me a serious look. “Hey... Volk looked real depressed when I saw him earlier. Did things not turn out well?”
“...No, sadly. Giebe Illgner just couldn’t afford to buy him, so negotiations broke down completely. The amount Volk can do means he’s pretty expensive, and considering the future, I just can’t afford to give him away for cheap.”
Lutz narrowed his jade eyes and started running calculations in his head; he was being trained in the Plantin Company, and had long since become a better merchant than I would ever be.
“Yeah, I guess just knowing about printing stuff would cause him to shoot up in value, and that’s not even including his attendant experience...” he conceded. “Can’t really lower the price when the printing industry is going to be expanding so much, so... can’t blame you here.”
“I did tell Giebe Illgner that I’d give him first purchase rights for a full year, though. And with this much new paper, don’t you think they’ll be able to afford two large golds if they spend a whole year working like crazy to make as much as they can?”
“A whole year? Yeah. But that means Volk will need to keep working here in Illgner.”
Gil raised his head. “Lady Rozemyne, could you allow me to give Volk some advice? Like, on how to make money and stuff. And could I reassure him that he’ll be able to make enough so long as he tries his best? He was so happy yesterday about getting to marry Carya, but this morning he looked like he just wanted to die. I can’t stand seeing him like this...”
I nodded. “Of course you can. I was actually wondering how to make that happen, since I don’t exactly get many opportunities to speak to him. I think it would be most helpful if you and Volk speak to Giebe Illgner about this and ask that he request to borrow Volk from me for a bit.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
Everyone was watching the Harvest Festival with sparkling eyes: Gil, who had often been forced to stay back at the temple and run the workshop; Lutz, who had come to Hasse in the past on business but spent most of his time there in the monastery; and finally Damian and the gray priests, who were all seeing the celebration for the very first time.
“It certainly is interesting how they hold all the ceremonies at once,” one gray priest commented.
“Indeed. There are too many people in Ehrenfest for that,” added another.
Rather than sitting up on the stage like usual, I was among the participants with the Plantin Company and the gray priests. Ferdinand, meanwhile, was confidently standing on the stage and giving the blessings in his clear, resounding voice. I watched on, wondering whether that was how I looked when I was up there.
I always stand on something to boost my height, so surely people can see me when I’m on stage...
Once the ceremonies were over, it was time for the warf tournament. Lutz and Damian cheered fervently upon seeing the game for the first time, but the priests raised in the temple merely paled at how aggressive and chaotic everything was.
The variety of reactions brought a warm smile to my face—that is, until I spotted Volk in my peripheral vision. It looked as though there was something he wanted to say, so I glanced around, then gestured for him to come over.
“Volk, I do regret that negotiations broke down, but the price is non-negotiable. Considering the impact any concessions would have on future sales of gray priests to nobles, I cannot lower it for personal reasons.”
He nodded sadly, clenched his teeth for a second, then looked at me head-on. “Lady Rozemyne, Gil informed me of what you said. Do you truly believe we can earn that much money in a single year...?”
“Yes. It will require a significant amount of work, of course, but now that Illgner has three new kinds of paper to call its own, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to earn two large golds. I made that much in about half a year when I initially started making plant paper with Lutz.”
His face lit up with hope at my words. Unlike Gil and Lutz, Volk simply did his work as instructed without ever dealing with the financial side of things, so it was easy to guess that he didn’t know how much plant paper and picture books were actually worth.
“I can lend you to Giebe Illgner if paid using the money you have earned up until now. My understanding is that the river here doesn’t freeze during the winter, so you will have an entire year to work your hardest.”
“Lady Rozemyne...”
“To tell you the truth, I am still worried about the prospect of a gray priest getting married. Living with someone who has entirely different values from you is a challenge, even among those of the same status with the same background. A gray priest from the temple and a citizen from Illgner will no doubt have contrasting perspectives, habits, and values. Your mindsets couldn’t be further apart.”
Volk lowered his gaze, knowing from experience just how true that was. But after a pause, he looked up and toward the group of people. I could assume he was gazing in the direction of the woman from before, though I couldn’t see her from where I was.
“For the next year, dedicate yourself to making paper with her, and while you’re saving money, do what you can to adjust to life here in Illgner,” I said. “I would like for you to observe the lives of those outside the temple—to see other families and married couples—and work to learn everything about them. I pray that your relationship does not become one where Carya is constantly burdened; rather, I hope it becomes one where you struggle together, grow together, and care for one another.”
Following the completion of the Harvest Festival, Giebe Illgner signed a contract with the Plantin Company, while I advised them on business matters and agreed to lend Volk to them for one year. And once all the discussions were over, I returned to Ehrenfest with all the people I had originally brought to Illgner. Volk and Carya saw us off, kneeling quietly and keeping their heads lowered the entire time.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login