Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.5 - Chapter 2

A Discussion with the Lower City

My meeting with the guildmaster and the Plantin and Gilberta Companies was scheduled for the afternoon three days after my retainers first arrived at the temple. I was a bit tense about having scholars attend a meeting with people from the lower city, but Hartmut seemed excited as we made our way to the orphanage director’s chambers.

“Lady Rozemyne, what will you be discussing with the lower city merchants?” he asked.

“My main interest is how the lower city has been faring since the entwickeln,” I replied. “Aside from that, I intend to discuss accommodation for the merchants coming from other duchies with the guildmaster, explain where the Gutenbergs will be going next to the Plantin Company, and receive my ordered products from the Gilberta Company.”

Hartmut noted all this down, while Philine watched and copied him. It wasn’t long before we arrived at my chambers, which were already prepared for our guests thanks to Monika and Nicola. Angelica was standing outside the door, while Damuel and Cornelius were guarding the inside. Leonore and Judithe were absent, since they had training today.

Hartmut, Philine, and Cornelius looked around curiously when we reached the second floor. “Lady Rozemyne, I do not believe this furniture suits someone of your status,” Hartmut noted with a small wrinkle of his nose.

I nodded. His observation was accurate. The previous orphanage director had apparently been of mednoble birth, which meant this furniture was suited for a mednoble. At no point had it ever been appropriate for my status; back when I was a commoner, it was much too expensive, and now that I was the archduke’s adopted daughter, it was much too cheap.

“This room and its furniture comes from a time when I did not know my father’s status, and yes, it certainly does not suit my status now that I have been adopted by the archduke,” I explained. “However, it only sees use when I meet with commoners, so there is surely no need to expend resources on replacing it.”

“I believe it would be an effective way to further establish how superior you are to them,” Hartmut replied, but I wasn’t about to waste precious resources on furniture I used so rarely. There was no way he could make me care about this.

“Hartmut, the commoners we are due to meet are all aware of my status, and just as nobles view the richest merchants as no different from the poorest farmers, commoners see the richest archnobles and the poorest laynobles as nobles all the same. Changing the furniture will not change their perception in the least, assuming they notice it at all. If we had the money to replace barely used furniture, I would rather spend it on something more important.”

“Something more important... Such as?” Hartmut asked, seemingly so fixated on providing me with chambers befitting my status that no examples came to mind.

“Books, naturally. Or perhaps creating new printing presses, developing new bookcases, or saving for the eventual creation of my own personal library. There are endless productive uses for money, are there not? New furniture is very low on the priority list.”

“Lady Rozemyne, as nobles, it is crucial that we prepare environments appropriate to our status,” Cornelius said, backing up Hartmut with a bemused smile.

“In other words, create an environment fit for myself. Understood. I shall save money to the best of my ability and strive to purchase book after book so that I may one day create a library suitable for the adopted daughter of an archduke.”

“We are not talking about libraries.”

“Oh, but we were talking about productive uses of money, were we not?”

No matter how desperately Cornelius tried to explain his viewpoint to me, I could not imagine a bigger waste of money than replacing the furniture. Still, considering that my noble retainers had already found something to take issue with, I was starting to get a little nervous about whether this meeting would go well.

Just as I quashed all the remaining complaints about my furniture situation, Fran came upstairs with some tea. “Your guests should be arriving soon,” he informed me, and hardly a moment later, Angelica announced that they had indeed arrived. She opened the door and Gil brought them all upstairs, having waited for them at the front gate. I could see Gustav, Freida, and their attendants, as well as Benno, Mark, Lutz, Otto, Tuuli, and Theo.

“Blessed be the waves of Flutrane the Goddess of Water who guided us toward this serendipitous meeting.”

Gustav gave the appropriate greeting as the representative of the group, speaking even more politely than usual due to the number of nobles they were meeting with for the very first time. My retainers responded in turn, and then I gestured to the provided seats. Of the commoners, only Gustav, Benno, and Otto sat down as the representatives of their respective stores.

“Klassenberg and the Sovereignty were selected as our business partners during the Archduke Conference, as planned,” I said. “We have verification paper for the Merchant’s Guild to use in identifying the merchants arriving from these specific areas.”

I signaled to Hartmut, who handed over the other halves of the verification sheets we had given to Klassenberg and the Sovereignty. The paper for Klassenberg was red and the paper for the Sovereignty was black, making it clear which was which. This was all thanks to the colored ink that Heidi had developed.

“This paper has a quality wherein smaller pieces are attracted to larger pieces, as seen here,” I explained, showing the merchants how to cut the edges of the verification paper and use it for its intended purpose. “Please remember to check that the pieces of paper the visiting merchants bring are drawn to your own pieces. We instructed that they give each merchant a sheet larger than this board so that the sheet can be broken into no more than eight pieces, which should hopefully control the number of visitors we receive. If you are approached by anyone whose paper is too small then you may refuse to do business with them. We will handle the matter if necessary.”

“So the paper is a magical device that even commoners can use? This will be most helpful,” Gustav said, carefully accepting the sheets before passing them to one of his attendants.

“How is the lower city? Does it remain clean enough that we may hold our heads high when merchants of other cities arrive?” I asked. We had beautified the city with the entwickeln and the wide-range waschen, but if the commoners who lived there weren’t careful, it would all end up filthy again in no time.

Gustav nodded with a smile. “I was watching from the top window of the Merchant’s Guild on that fateful day, and the sight was truly shocking enough to deprive me of speech. Lights suddenly shone in the sky, and an instant later, torrents of water crashed against my doors and windows. I reflexively stepped back, but the next thing I knew, the water had already vanished, and the lower city’s roads and buildings were as white as those in the Noble’s Quarter. I had already been given some idea of what was going to happen, but goodness, the archduke’s power was truly something to behold.”

Mm...? Isn’t he talking about the waschen that Ferdinand used, not the entwickeln that Sylvester poured his all into? It seemed that the entwickeln had gone largely unnoticed, since it mostly changed underground stuff, while the waves of the waschen had been what left a big impression on the commoners. Oh well. It’s not like the details of how the city ended up so clean really matter here...

“The soldiers and we of the Merchant’s Guild spread the news all throughout the city, so none remained outside at the time of. I have not been informed of any injuries or disappearances following the magic.”

Whew. So nobody was caught up in the entwickeln, drowned in the waschen, or ended up having a heart attack.

“There were some buildings in the southern part of the lower city that had water slip through the cracks of their doors and windows, which resulted in their interiors becoming as clean as the streets outside,” Benno said. He then shot Lutz a meaningful glance, so I inquired as to what had happened.

“I’m told that my family home was one such building. My mother bemoaned that if she had known what would happen, she would have kept the windows open from the start,” Lutz explained while awkwardly averting his gaze. The mental image of Karla boldly waiting for the water with the windows thrown open made me laugh. She probably would have been able to stay standing even after getting blasted.

“Unfortunately, that wide-range magic is quite costly and cannot be performed so frequently,” I said. “In any case... is the city being kept clean?”

Tuuli, who was standing behind Otto, gave a proud smile. “But of course. My father and all the soldiers are patrolling the streets with sharp eyes, warning all those who would dirty them. The city is a sight to behold from the very north to the southmost point,” she said.

It seemed that speaking to Dad and the soldiers in Hasse had been the right choice after all. I couldn’t help but smile as I imagined him and his soldiers working hard for my sake.

“That is relieving to hear, but I have one more concern,” I said. “There will soon be a surge of merchants coming to Ehrenfest from other duchies. Will there be enough inns and eateries to support them?”

“There will not be enough high-quality inns given the lack of need for them up until this point and the fact they cannot be built so suddenly,” Gustav replied. “This year, we plan to have the major store owners house them, and to that end, we have sent word instructing them to prepare their homes. Thanks to the archduke limiting the number of visitors, we should have enough space if we merchants and the inns work together.”

He went on to explain that they planned to use the Italian restaurant to host a celebratory dinner welcoming the merchants. That seemed like a good move to me, since we had just spread awareness of our unique cuisine at the Archduke Conference. As I was nodding along in agreement, Freida raised her hand. She was involved with the operation of the Italian restaurant.

“Lady Rozemyne, if time permits, please do visit the Italian restaurant,” she said briskly. “It would certainly ease our worries if you would check the operation as one of our investors to ensure everything is suitable for outsider merchants.” She wanted me to check the new menu and say a few words to the big store owners who were going to be involved, since that would apparently have an impact on how much support they offered.

“You there,” Hartmut suddenly interjected, his tone harsh. “You speak above your place. Do you think you have the right to give such direct demands to Lady Rozemyne, the archduke’s adopted daughter? Not even a noble would dare speak as you have.”

Tensions immediately rose as everyone feared they had just earned the ire of a powerful noble. I shot Hartmut a fierce glare. Nobles were going to be attending meetings about the printing industry from now on, but those meetings would prove useless unless they learned to stop being so stuck-up. It would also be harder for me to protect those in the lower city.

“I hold these meetings precisely to hear the direct requests of our lower city citizens. A scholar who fails to understand this and interferes will not be permitted to attend, regardless of whether they are an archnoble or my retainer.”

“My apologies,” Hartmut replied. “I failed to understand your intent, Lady Rozemyne.”

I returned my attention to Freida. “This summer, I will need the support of the merchants not just for housing merchants of other duchies, but for interduchy marriages and the dyeing competition. I do not mind speaking to them. I will acquire permission from the High Priest when possible and personally stop by the Italian restaurant.”

“You have our thanks. Please look forward to the new menu,” Freida said with a smile.

“Fran, when will my schedule permit such a meeting?”

“From now until the spring coming-of-age ceremony or between the summer baptism and the Starbind Ceremony. Assuming it needs to be held before the merchants come, I would suggest acquiring permission from the High Priest right away.”

Since this was going to be an opportunity to both visit the Italian restaurant and check up on the lower city, it was possible that Sylvester would want to accompany me just for the fun of it. That made me realize something.

“Freida, might I ask you to train some new chefs?” I said. “The archduke wishes to have more court chefs who can follow my recipes ready by next winter, and there is a chance he will take workers from the Italian restaurant. For that reason, I ask that you train their successors or some new candidates.”

Sylvester had mentioned not having enough chefs for the Archduke Conference, and I could guess that his first instinct would be to poach some from the Italian restaurant.

“Understood. I will start on that at once,” Freida replied, stiffening up a little and immediately opening her diptych to write down some notes.

That was the Italian restaurant matter settled, so I turned my eyes to the Plantin Company. Hartmut and Philine must have done the same from where they were standing behind me, as Benno, Lutz, and Mark all straightened their backs at once.

“For the Plantin Company, I have an update on the printing industry. Groschel has finished their preparations,” I said.

“Printing in Groschel...? I certainly did not expect them to prepare for the printing industry before building paper-making workshops,” Benno said, widening his eyes a little, but his mild surprise was quickly replaced with understanding when I explained that Groschel and Haldenzel were working together.

“Groschel, unlike Haldenzel, is planned to have paper-making workshops too. This means they will need both a Plant Paper Guild and a Printing Guild,” I reported. Mark and Lutz were busy noting this down in their diptychs, so I turned my attention to Gil, who was standing to my right, to give them more time. “Gil, please decide who from the Rozemyne Workshop we are going to use and prepare for their departure.”

“I divided them into teams according to your instructions, Lady Rozemyne. They should be ready to go whenever you need them,” he replied.

“Oh my. I would expect nothing less from one of my attendants,” I said with an elegant giggle.

Gil gave a small but proud smile upon receiving my praise. He normally would have made his satisfaction more apparent, but that was hard to do with so many nobles present.

“From here, the archducal family and scholars will perform the final checks,” I explained. “Assuming there are no issues, the Gutenbergs will then be mobilized. Send word and ensure they are ready to leave when the summons are sent. I should also note, same as last time, that we are planning to mobilize them until this year’s Harvest Festival.”

“Understood. How will we be traveling this year?” Benno asked. Considering how much he had complained about the hardships of traveling by carriage, I could tell this was his way of asking to use my highbeast again. I personally saw no issue with that; Brunhilde was going to be heading to Groschel, so I was going there as well. Plus, as the person who wanted to spread the printing industry in the first place, I would do whatever I could to help them.

“We will travel via my highbeast,” I said. “Plan with that in mind.”

“We thank you. That information will prove exceptionally helpful.” Benno then turned around. “Lutz, the experimental pin.”

Lutz took a small pin out from a box he had been carrying and politely held it out to me. “Lady Rozemyne, this is the so-called safety pin you ordered. Johann’s disciple Danilo made it. If you are satisfied with the product, they said they can produce many more.”

I examined the safety pin from top to bottom, looking at it from every angle, before experimentally putting it on and taking it off again. It was made exactly to my specifications. It seemed that Danilo was Johann’s disciple for a reason.

“It is exceptionally well-made. Have Danilo make a good many more,” I said. I then lowered my voice to a low murmur. “Perhaps I should grant him the title of Gutenberg as well...?”

Lutz shook his head. “Johann said that he still has a long way to go. He needs to learn to make metal letter types before anything else.”

“As expected of the first Gutenberg—he is strict with high standards. Tell Danilo that I await the day he earns Johann’s approval,” I said with a smile.

Lutz nodded, his jade eyes crinkling into a smile in turn. “As you wish. I will pass your words on to him. Now, regarding the formatted paper being produced in the Rozemyne Workshop, may we begin using it first in the lower city?” he asked.

The formatted paper had been made to avoid any confusion with paperwork when the merchants from other duchies arrived. Gil had informed me that the Plantin Company had already been trying it out, since its workers and those from the Merchant’s Guild needed to be familiar with the forms before they were put to use.

“Certainly. I will purchase a sample and ask the archduke whether they may be used in the castle as well. Mark, how did the paper feel when the Plantin Company experimented with it? Does it make work easier?”

“It does. Having standardized forms made everything much easier,” Mark said, deepening his smile as Lutz nodded along beside him. If it made work easier for the Plantin Company then I could surmise that the Merchant’s Guild would adopt it readily.

“On this occasion, we made forms for the merchants of other duchies, but if you find them so useful, we could perhaps think of making forms for other purposes as well.”

“If using standardized forms is your intention, I believe we would need to lower the price of paper so that smaller merchants can purchase them as well. More paper-making workshops would be productive to this end,” Benno said, his eyes gleaming. Most merchants relied heavily on wooden boards, and he wanted us to lower the price of paper as much as possible so that he could steal their business. Benno often said that I was too hasty in my actions, but when it came to earning money, he seemed just as bad.

“It has been decided that more paper-making workshops will be established to aid the spread of the printing industry, but the exact number will depend on how many craftsmen can be assigned to work on them,” I explained. “Securing more people is not an easy process, I assume?”

“Lady Rozemyne is correct, Master Benno—properly learning the paper-making process takes quite some time,” Lutz said, having personally taught those in Illgner and Haldenzel. Benno muttered a few words of reluctant understanding in response and sighed.

I giggled and then turned my eyes to Otto, Tuuli, and Theo—the trio representing the Gilberta Company. Tuuli smiled in response and raised the box in her hand ever so slightly, a silent appeal that the hairpins were inside. I gave a slight nod to indicate my understanding.

“I received word that the summer hairpins have been completed,” I said. “Tuuli, would you show them to me?”

“Here is yours. May it please you,” Tuuli said as she delicately removed the lid of the box. I could feel Philine lean forward slightly behind me, curious to see inside.

Inside the box was a hairpin decorated with two large, beautiful flowers. The center of the petals were blue, the divine color of summer, but gradually turned white as one approached the edges. It was an impressive feat, especially considering how hard it was to make flowers that matched the dark blue of my hair. Surrounding the petals were various leaves, including some yellow-green ones that would dangle about while I was wearing the hairpin. It was clear to see how much thought and effort Tuuli had put into making it.

“How do you like it, if I may ask, Lady Rozemyne?” Tuuli asked. Given the proud look on her face, however, she might as well have said, “I worked pretty hard, huh?”

I turned my head to the side so that my cheek was facing her. “Could you help me put it on?”

“As you wish.”

Hartmut and Philine took a few steps back, making way for Tuuli as she stepped forward with the hairpin, looking especially tense. She removed my current hairpin before slipping the new one into place. I could feel the faint sensation of the hanging leaves brushing against my ear.

“How does it look, Philine?” I asked. I would normally purchase my hairpins based on my personal thoughts alone, but this time I wanted a second opinion. And since I didn’t have any other female attendants with me, I was relying entirely on her evaluation.

Philine started examining the hairpin, viewing it from every angle while Tuuli anxiously clasped her hands together. After a long moment, she peered up again. “It is very beautiful, Lady Rozemyne.”

Tuuli exhaled with relief, her shoulders loosened, and a smile returned to her face. I put the hairpin I had previously been wearing back on and affectionately stroked the new one while looking between her and Otto.

“In that case, I shall buy this summer hairpin,” I said.

“You have our thanks,” Otto replied. “We also have here an outfit designed to match that hairpin. Tuuli designed it, and Corinna provided a few minor adjustments. What do you think?”

It was probably easiest to describe the outfit as a fancier version of the one I had worn during my lower city baptism. We had gotten a positive response from the alterations we had made over the winter, pinching up the sleeves and adding volume to the skirt, so she had gone all the way and designed an off-the-shoulder dress. The chest tuck was decorated with lace and incorporated a flower similar to the one on my hair ornament, albeit of a smaller size. Seeing the familiar outfit instantly filled me with nostalgia.

“I will soon be inviting the Gilberta Company to the castle, and I will ask that cloth suited for this design be brought for inspection,” I said. “I am extremely fond of what you have produced, but before I can order it formally, I must hear the thoughts of my mothers and attendants.”

The simple fact that Tuuli had designed the dress made me want to order one on the spot, but having more power didn’t always mean having more freedom. It was extremely likely that whatever I wore would have some kind of an impact on fashion trends, so I needed permission from Florencia and Elvira first. It was also important that I consult Rihyarda and Brunhilde, since they were already putting so much thought into my clothes.

“Thank you again. We shall await your summons,” Otto said with a smile. Tuuli was still looking especially proud, and it made me happy to know that she was working hard not just on hairpins, but on learning to make outfits as well.

Good luck, Tuuli. I believe in you.

“We also have with us two hairpins that we designed for Ella. I believe that either would suit her, but I have not seen what she plans to wear. Have you, Lady Rozemyne?” Tuuli asked. She had two hairpins in her hand, one white and one yellow. Both were decorated with plenty of small petals and differently colored leaves.

I hadn’t ever seen Ella wearing fancy clothes, but she was born in the spring, so I knew that whatever she wore would need to contain the divine color of green. It was clear that Tuuli had taken this into account when making the hairpins, since she had chosen a variety of colors that would match any kind of green outfit. I decided to go with a yellow one, since I thought it would best suit Ella’s hair.

“I shall take this one,” I announced, taking out my card and tapping it against Otto’s to pay. I would be purchasing my own hairpin and outfit later, since I still needed Ferdinand to give me the money for them. “How was the dyeing? Did the craftspeople work hard?”

“Oh, to say they worked hard is an understatement... Every single workshop finished its normal workload far earlier than usual in the hope of securing more time to do research. Things have been quite lively indeed,” Otto said, having visited each workshop himself.

Tuuli nodded repeatedly in agreement. Those connected to the dyeing industry were getting quite spirited, and it seemed that the young people in particular were striving to master these “new” techniques.

“Lady Rozemyne, may I have a moment to ask something?” Gustav interjected before glancing over at Otto. “The Gilberta Company sent a request to the Dyeing Guild. It seems that, at your suggestion, they intend to hold a large-scale dyeing competition.”

“That is correct. Did you yourself not say that it would be wise for me to acquire more exclusive relationships? I would like to see dyed cloth from all the workshops so that I might decide who to give my exclusive business to.”

I didn’t have very many exclusivity relationships with workshops, plus I had been advised to search outside of my usual group of Gutenbergs. It seemed reasonable enough to me, especially if competition would motivate the craftspeople. I had admittedly decided on this dyeing competition on something of a whim, but since Elvira, Florencia, Brunhilde, and a number of others were already excited for it, there was no way of me stopping it now.

Gustav narrowed his eyes ever so slightly after I repeated his old words back to him. “I was also told that you are reviving old technologies, Lady Rozemyne. Do you have any particular thoughts on this matter?”

“Yes, I would like for some forgotten technologies to be revived, if possible. The existence of dyeing methods that allow for more than just single-color cloth would do the world much good. Variety is the spice of life, after all.”

“Variety...” the guildmaster repeated to himself while stroking his chin. Meanwhile, Freida was looking at me with equal parts amusement and perplexity.

“I understand your desires, Lady Rozemyne, but reviving old technologies is no simple matter,” she said. “There is simply not enough time before the end of summer.”

“Of course, I do not expect any of these techniques to be revived in less than half a year, and I am not demanding that anyone revive them either. I simply want a winter outfit made from wax-resist dyed cloth. The dyeing workshops and craftspeople can decide how to use the technologies that the Gilberta Company informed them of through the Dyeing Guild,” I said. We had given them a hint, and what they did with that information was up to them. “I would appreciate it if the Dyeing Guild were to write down any dyeing methods used this time to preserve them for future generations.”

“Preserving technologies? That is quite an interesting idea...” Freida said, blinking in surprise.

Gustav exhaled slowly. “In that case, am I right to assume this competition is being held at the end of summer no matter what?” he asked. I could guess that he viewed the whole situation as a massive pain in the neck, especially considering that Ehrenfest was going to be in a state of unprecedented chaos when the merchants of other duchies flooded in, but there was no helping it now.

“My initial aim was for this to be a private event, but upon reporting the idea to my guardians, my adoptive mother the archduchess and several archnobles all expressed their interest. It is no longer something that I can stop with my own power,” I said.

Everyone stared at me in shock, their eyes so wide that I worried they might pop out of their skulls. Benno in particular was wearing an expression that seemed to say, “You never told me about this!”

“The archduchess and several archnobles...?” Gustav asked. “It seems this event is going to be on a larger scale than I anticipated.”

“I appreciate that, but considering that I began this competition for the sake of creating my winter outfit, it cannot be delayed until next year. Making clothes takes time. At most, we can delay things until the start of autumn. Any longer and the seamstresses will struggle.”

Gustav exhaled again, his expression making it clear that he wanted to hold his head in agony, while Benno had a distant look in his eyes, as though he were recalling his struggles from back when Elvira had made so many unreasonable demands.

“That said, if one looks at this from another angle, this is also an opportunity for dyers to prove their skills to and gain the attention of nobles other than me. I assume this will serve to motivate the dyers even more, since they are more likely to come across clients who will appreciate their particular talents. To each their own, as they say.”

If we introduced a voting system like we had done during the pound cake taste-testing event, there would be more dyers in the limelight, and thus more dyers winning exclusive business relationships.

“I imagine this is going to be a struggle for you as the guildmaster, since you must keep track of so many guilds at once, but please entrust this matter to the Dyeing Guild and focus on accommodating the merchants from other duchies,” I said. “I will speak to the interested nobles about holding the competition at the start of autumn rather than the end of summer, and once the details are settled, we will inform the Merchant’s Guild and the Dyeing Guild through the Gilberta Company.”

And with that, the meeting was over. I returned to my High Bishop chambers after seeing everyone off and asked Fran to prepare some ink and paper. There was still some time before dinner at sixth bell, and I wanted to spend it transcribing the book Hannelore had lent me.

“All those participating in that meeting had diptychs,” Hartmut noted. “Was that your doing, Lady Rozemyne?”

“Diptychs are quite convenient for commoners, as paper is too expensive for them to use comfortably. I believe my attendants and the Gutenbergs have spread them throughout the lower city, although their reach is limited, since so many are illiterate.”

“So you did not give the diptychs to them as gifts?”

“I gave them only to my temple attendants and a selection of the Gutenbergs. They spread from there on their own,” I said, which prompted Hartmut to give an exceptionally envious look. “If you would like one of your own, I could always introduce you to the Plantin Company.”

“No, I would have liked for you to gift me one yourself. If you gave them only to your temple attendants and the Gutenbergs, can they not be seen as a symbol of your faith?” Hartmut asked, which made me realize that I hadn’t given any particular gifts to my noble retainers.

“Given that not many of my noble retainers would be particularly happy with receiving a diptych, it might be best for me to think of something else. I will consult Ferdinand and come up with something.” I said.

Hartmut smiled. My saint legend had driven him somewhat off the deep end and it was troublesome, to say the least, but he was a skilled scholar, and it was a fact that he was of great help to me. I needed to praise my noble retainers just as I had praised Gil when he did his work, but this was a little more complicated. For commoners, I could simply gift them whatever they needed and express my praise through words, but I wasn’t sure how it worked with nobles.

I turned to my other retainers gathered in my chambers. “What would be considered an appropriate reward for a noble?” I asked.

“I want your mana, Lady Rozemyne!” Angelica cried out before anyone else could speak.

“No! Lord Ferdinand forbade it!” Damuel and Cornelius shouted in unison, recalling the incident that had resulted in Stenluke. Indeed, the problem here was that I needed to avoid carelessly giving people what they wanted, even when it was well within my means.

“I will decide after asking Ferdinand what level of accomplishment is deserving of a reward, and what that reward should be,” I stated. “Drawing a conclusion on my own will only lead to me getting scolded.”

Cornelius laughed. “Right. Lord Ferdinand gives rather long lectures.”

“I would be happy with whatever you chose to give me, Lady Rozemyne,” Philine said. It was such an adorable response that I wanted to give her absolutely everything.

I really do need to ask Ferdinand first, though. He’ll get mad for sure if I start giving out whatever I want.

As we spoke, the preparations for the transcribing were finished, meaning Philine and I could start working through Hannelore’s book. Philine was copying the text exactly, while I was rewriting it in modern vernacular.

“This certainly is a hard book to read, what with all these old turns of phrase. How can you understand it so effortlessly?” Philine asked me.

“I am simply used to it. The first book I ever read was the bible, and so many of the other books in the temple are written in older language. Transcribing this will serve as a valuable experience for you.”

“I’ll do my best.”

As Philine and I transcribed together, I noticed that Hartmut was also writing something down. “What are you writing there, Hartmut?” I asked him.

“I am working on my own research. I have discovered many new things today.”

Wait... Is he referring to his research on me? Please, no! Stop!

Hartmut noticed that I was trying to stop him and set down his pen. He was wearing such a surprisingly serious expression that I unconsciously froze in place with my hand outstretched toward him.

“Still, I never thought you were speaking with commoners on such equal terms,” he said. Most conversations between nobles and commoners consisted of no more than the nobles giving orders, so to Hartmut, who had worked with other scholars in the castle as an apprentice, commoners were little more than beings who arrived in audience chambers and silently listened to the commands they were given. “In the castle, they do not speak their opinions or give reports like that, not even to laynobles.”

“And that is something I find troubling. I would rather nobles pay more heed to those beneath them,” I said.

Philine looked rather pleased about my statement, but Hartmut seemed unconvinced, presumably because he was an archnoble and was thus used to others paying attention to him. I pondered the situation for a moment, wondering what I could say to make him understand.

“Although nobles are the ones to establish trends, commoners are the ones who actually create the trendy products. If one wishes to spread the trends they worked so hard to establish to other duchies, cooperation with commoners is essential. Ehrenfest has no doubt remained a bottom-tier duchy for this long precisely because it failed to understand this.”

“You believe so?”

“If we view this as nobles thinking up trendy goods and commoners making them, then nobles are the thinking mind while commoners are their hands and feet, no? Overloading commoners with unreasonable demands is no better than crippling one’s own arms or legs.”

Hartmut did not respond; instead, he pondered my words in quiet consideration.

“The Gutenbergs and all those who attended today’s meeting are like my arms and legs; without them, I would not have been able to make plant paper, nor would pound cake, karuta, or playing cards have ever come into existence. Commoners are also responsible for making our food and sweets. I merely come up with ideas; they are the ones who make them a reality. Thus, other nobles crushing the Gutenbergs is like them crushing my arms and legs.”

And that’s precisely why I won’t allow anyone to meddle with them.

I smiled, making my thoughts clear on my face.

“Understood,” Hartmut said, seeming to have understood my intentions well. “I will take care such that your arms and legs are not crushed by other scholars.”

“I hope that scholars one day understand how much they rely on commoners to make any significant progress, but parting from the way of thinking one has always known is never simple,” I said with a sigh. Hartmut nodded in agreement, his brow drawn into a deep frown.