Ascendance of a Bookworm (LN) - Volume 4.5 - Chapter 3

Going to the Italian Restaurant

The next day, I asked Fran to report to Ferdinand while I spent my time leisurely in the temple. It was my usual routine, but my day was far from ordinary. I called Ella over after breakfast to give her the specially made hairpin, saying it was a gift to celebrate her marriage, and she was so moved that she actually cried. Then, when I was practicing the harspiel with Rosina, Philine was watching me with such overwhelming awe that it was almost distracting. I started working on my dedication whirling shortly after, during which Hartmut asked why no blessings were being granted.

After third bell, I made my way to the High Priest’s room with my guard knights and apprentice scholars. Ferdinand delegated work to all of my retainers—except Angelica, who was guarding the door with her life, as per usual—and then called me over.

“Rozemyne. I received a report from Fran. Is it true that you plan to return to the castle to finish your clothing?”

“It is a summer outfit, after all. If we do not hurry, the season will have come and gone. Not to mention, I must discuss the dyeing competition with my mothers.”

“Hm. I suppose. Very well, then. I was also told that you are going to be visiting the Italian restaurant to speak with the lower city merchants. Know that I have decided to accompany you, both to forestall the danger inherent in leaving you without supervision and to observe the condition of the lower city since the entwickeln.”

“So you say, but you’re actually hoping to try the new menu, are you not?”

The only recipes of mine that Ferdinand knew were the ones he had purchased through Todd; there was no doubt in my mind that he was interested in more than just the state of the lower city. He responded only with a casually raised eyebrow, but his silence was more than enough to confirm my suspicions.

“My attendance is already set in stone,” Ferdinand eventually said, “but say nothing of this to Sylvester. If even a word of our plans reaches his ears, he will tag along for certain, and that is a mess we do not want to endure.”

“Something tells me the merchants will be quite motivated if the archduke himself arrives to speak to them...”

“This trip is scheduled for before the spring coming-of-age ceremony, correct? At the moment, some strange fervor has possessed Sylvester to actually begin going through his immense backlog of work. It is best not to disturb him now.”

Ferdinand was evidently set on blocking Sylvester from joining us. I agreed with his assessment for the most part, since having the archduke with us would only make things more complicated than they needed to be.

“Furthermore, regarding the interior of the orphanage director’s chambers...” Ferdinand continued, presumably having been informed of my retainers’ criticisms of my cheap furniture through Fran. I was afraid that he was going to push me to waste money, but my expectations were soon confounded in the best possible way. “The orphanage director’s chambers may remain as they are. Meetings with scholars from the castle will be held in the noble section of the temple, in rooms that are closer to the front gate. I have no intention of bringing nobles to the orphanage, nor do I know how they will respond to the blue priests. I intend to allow the scholars to go only where I can see them.”

“If that means I don’t need to buy new furniture then I agree entirely.”

“Indeed. I also intend to reuse the previous High Bishop’s furniture for the more formal meeting room.”

“Waste not, want not, as they say.” I nodded sagely as I voiced my agreement, which earned me an exasperated look from Ferdinand.

“However, the orphanage director’s chambers are a unique case. Remember well that you will need furniture appropriate to your status as the archduke’s adopted daughter in every other situation.”

I continued to nod as Ferdinand explained that this would most likely be relevant when it was time for me to get married. That was still a long time from now, so I immediately stopped thinking about it.

“Ferdinand, if you would allow me to change the subject... What would make a suitable reward for my retainers? I gave clothes and diptychs to my temple attendants, and those who work especially hard in the orphanage get dessert, but I do not know what to give nobles.”

For the girls, I could presumably get by with custom-made hairpins and new rinsham, not to mention the new dyed cloth. But for the guys? Absolutely nothing came to mind.

“If they are working according to their pay grade then nothing at all,” Ferdinand said. “Rewards are not necessary unless they have accomplished something quite remarkable indeed.”

As it turned out, being a retainer of the archducal family was considered enough of a reward in itself. The best thing I could do for them was to be a lady deserving of their service.

“I believe that will create a significant gap between them and my temple attendants...” I said. “If we were to assume they did accomplish some remarkable deed, what would make a suitable reward for them?”

“Something with a crest engraved on it. But such things are not to be given out lightly, so I would sincerely recommend that you discuss the matter with others before taking any action.”

We continued working with Ferdinand until fourth bell, and after eating lunch, I wrote a letter to Freida of the Othmar Company. I explained that I had been permitted to meet with them in the Italian restaurant, but that my guardian, Ferdinand, was going to be accompanying me. I also noted that we would be bringing two guards and one attendant each before asking for details on who the other expected guests were. As for the date, I asked them to select something that was at least five days from now, but three days before the spring coming-of-age ceremony. That would give me enough breathing room in case I fell sick during my commute between the castle and temple.

“Gil, deliver this to the Othmar Company.”

I handed over the letter before returning to the castle with my retainers. Upon my arrival, when I told Rihyarda that we were working with the Gilberta Company to produce a new outfit, she rejoiced to high heaven.

“My, my, my! This must be the first time you’ve ever shown interest in one of your new outfits, milady!” she exclaimed, clearly excited that I was paying some mind to fashion. She was pretty much used to my leaving everything to my attendants and responding to her clothing-related questions with blatant disinterest. “Let us involve Ladies Florencia and Elvira as well.”

I had turned ten during my long sleep, which meant I needed to adjust the length of my skirts, even though I hadn’t grown at all. As it stood, I didn’t have any appropriate clothes. We ended up summoning Florencia’s and Elvira’s personal seamstresses as well as the Gilberta Company in order to complete the preparations for all of my summer clothes at once.

Two days after summoning the seamstresses, the ordering began. It seemed that I would be picking my outfits with Florencia, Elvira, and Charlotte. Sticking my grubby little hands into the dyeing industry when nobody was looking had apparently taught them to keep a close eye on me to prevent any other trends from spawning out of thin air. I needed to, quote, unquote, “be more thorough with my reports to those they concerned.”

Sorry... I just sprang into action right after thinking it up. I didn’t mean anything bad by it.

On the day of, Corinna arrived with her seamstresses in tow. Tuuli wasn’t with them; it seemed that while she was doing her best to learn etiquette, she wasn’t quite ready to visit the castle yet. It was a shame, but I pointed to the design she had made for me—which Corinna had spread out on the table—and sought permission from Florencia and the others to use it.

I rationalized my choice by saying how well-received my bubble skirt had proven during the winter, which prompted Florencia, Elvira, and Charlotte to peer over the design document together and start listing out minor adjustments.

“I believe this part could use a bit more decoration,” Florencia suggested. “It feels somewhat empty as is. Furthermore, the flower ornament on the chest here will do, but perhaps the flower ornaments on the skirt should be made larger?”

“What color is best?” Elvira asked. “These are summer clothes, so some shade of blue is the obvious choice.”

“I would recommend a light blue to better suit her hair color,” Charlotte replied. “Furthermore, let us use even more white lace. Doing this will make the outfit appear cooler and refreshing.”

The dress was altered to incorporate more lace and cloth, as was appropriate for nobles, but its core design had passed inspection. It came as a massive relief, especially when I had worried that it might be rejected wholesale.

Once we had finished ordering the light-blue outfit, our attendants began selecting the other designs. Brunhilde was working especially hard, teaming up with Rihyarda to carefully analyze each design before accepting or rejecting it. Lieseleta, however, was just walking around serving tea.

“I see you do not have much to say about the designs, Lieseleta. Are you uninterested in fashion?” I asked.

“I am going to be taking care of your winter dresses. My intention is to have them visually harmonize with Schwartz’s and Weiss’s outfits. It is a job I will not give to any other,” Lieseleta said with a smile full of anticipation. Wearing the same clothes as the shumils wasn’t an option, but she was burning with ambition to at least make them feel similar.

Well, she seems to be having fun, so... Okay.

“Speaking of which—we have scheduled the dyeing competition for the start of autumn, but where are we going to hold it?” I asked, looking at Florencia and Elvira as I sipped my tea. Had I been the only one evaluating the submitted cloth, we could have just summoned the craftspeople to the temple, but Florencia and Elvira had elected to participate as well. Hosting the competition in the castle was the safest option, but actually getting craftspeople inside would prove difficult.

“Given how many nobles are invited, it must be the castle,” Florencia said.

“We intend to bring craftspeople into the castle?” I asked, blinking in surprise.

Elvira looked at me with wide eyes, as though she had never expected to hear such a thing. “Of course not. What are you saying? We would never allow craftspeople into the castle. Commoners are hard on the eyes; we do not need them walking around while we are attempting to judge which cloth will be the most popular.”

Well, I suppose that makes sense... Not even Tuuli is allowed to visit the castle yet. Completely untrained craftspeople would never survive. I had thought that it might be an opportunity for me to see Mom, but reality was not so kind.

After brainstorming for a while longer, we decided to have the dyeing workshops entrust the Gilberta Company with their cloth, which we would then display in the castle. Each piece would have a metal plate beneath it displaying the name of the workshop that had dyed it, and we would vote on our preferred cloth over a tea party before selecting our preferred workshop and craftspeople.

Once I was finished with my business in the castle, I returned to the temple. The apprentices had training today, so only Damuel and Angelica were accompanying me as guards. Philine looked pale, since scholars of the archducal family would start training with the Knight’s Order three days from now. A single shout from Bonifatius was apparently enough to wipe her mind and root her to the spot.

“In the event of an actual attack, loud voices are going to be the least of your concerns,” I said. “Freezing in place will put your life at risk. Please do train to be able to escape from danger.”

As we talked, I started writing a letter detailing the various decisions that we had made in the castle. Hartmut read it and then gave me a curious look. “You give commoners more details than I would expect, Lady Rozemyne.”

“Of course. By conveying the desires of the nobility in simple terms, we make it easier for the commoners to understand them. They will answer our demands more promptly the more information they have.”

I gave Hartmut the finished letter and asked him to create two more copies; we needed one for the guildmaster, one for the Gilberta Company, and one for the Dyeing Guild. As he started copying them out, and while Philine returned to transcribing the book from Dunkelfelger, I looked over Freida’s response letter. Her writing was well-composed, indicating that she had experience writing for a noble audience, and the elegance with which each word was written made it more than apparent that she had undergone a lot of calligraphy training.

It was a fairly thick letter listing each guest, their store, and the products they dealt in. There was even more detailed information regarding who had introduced the most other customers, who visited the restaurant most often, and what their recent profits were. Freida had scheduled the day of our visit for five days from now, and she concluded the letter by asking whether there were any foods that Ferdinand and I especially liked or disliked.

“Fran, Zahm, do you know of any foods the High Priest would rather not eat? Also, if you know of any foods he particularly enjoys, please do tell.”

“I do not believe there is anything he dislikes enough to outright refuse. He will eat anything served to him,” Fran replied.

“I believe he liked the soup served in the Italian restaurant the most,” Zahm added. “He has said that his own personal chefs are yet incapable of providing the flavor he desires, that Hugo so masterfully accomplished.”

I noted down everything they had learned through their attendant information network and fell into thought, wondering whether to include a recipe in my response to Freida. I answered the questions she had asked, wrote an explanation on how to make panna cotta, and then included some of the gelatin we had made when creating our hide glue.

If she leaps on the recipe, I’ll sell her the production method for gelatin and have the Othmar Company start making it from now on.

“Zahm, instruct Gil to deliver this to the Othmar Company. Once that is done, inform the High Priest of the date of our visit.”

“Understood.”

After sending Zahm off, I needed to discuss preparations for the excursion with Fran. “Since I am going to the Italian restaurant, is it settled that Damuel and Angelica will serve as my guard knights?” I asked. “What about my attendants? I hesitate to bring those from the castle with me to the lower city.”

“Your temple attendants will accompany you, myself included. We have been there before and therefore know what we need to bring.”

I nodded in response. It seemed that I was safe leaving everything to him.

The day of our visit eventually came. Freida had sent two carriages to the temple such that we could arrive at the store around fourth bell. One was noticeably old, while the other was the newest model available.

My gray priest attendants climbed into the old carriage with dishes and various other implements they would need when serving us. Rosina was accompanying them, since she was going to be playing for us. Only after they had departed did I climb into the shiny new carriage with Angelica, Ferdinand, and Justus. Damuel and Eckhart were going to be guarding us outside the carriage.

“Why is Justus here?” I asked. “Did you not say we are using our temple attendants as our servers?”

“I am here as a guard, Lady Rozemyne.”

Even after returning to noble society, Ferdinand apparently hadn’t really taken on any new personnel. There were no guard knights who wanted to go to the lower city, so Justus was accompanying us this time just to round out the head count.

“Justus, the fact you did not contact the guard knights because you wanted to come yourself is a separate issue from whether they would have wanted to visit the lower city,” Ferdinand said.

“I was simply being considerate, since I already knew what their response would be. I need to make good use of this rare opportunity to visit a store in the lower city aimed at the wealthy and locked behind an introduction system.”

It seemed that not even Justus could find an easy way to enter the restaurant. As an archnoble he could not visit the lower city without an excuse, and although he could circumvent this with a disguise, he would then lack the authority to request an invitation from a rich merchant.

You know, for the introductions-only system to have shut even Justus out so thoroughly, it must be a lot more impressive than I assumed.

My thoughts were interrupted as the carriage started to move. Ferdinand furrowed his brow slightly as he examined the interior. “Am I mistaken or is the carriage bouncing much less than last time?” he asked.

“Oh, yes. I had Zack of the Gutenbergs design a new carriage based on the technology I described to him. He truly is incredible,” I boasted. “And it seems the guildmaster wasted no time in implementing them.”

Ferdinand gave an exceptionally conflicted frown. “I had thought the Gutenbergs were concerned only with printing. Do you mean to tell me they are now designing carriages too?”

“Well, Zack is a smith; his work encompasses more than just the printing industry. He is also the one who made the pumps. You were there when we attached it to the temple well, were you not?”

“Ah... That smith was Zack,” Ferdinand murmured. “I had thought the Gutenbergs were busy expanding the printing industry, but if they have the time to produce designs such as this, they truly must be wanting for work.”

“No, they’re not,” I protested. “But unless they take on work that involves the lower city, their other patrons will abandon them.”

“I see commoner craftsmen have troubles of their own. I... Hm?”

Upon passing through the temple gate, we would usually be hit with the vile stench of the lower city... but the entwickeln and waschen had changed everything. The roads and the lower floors of the city’s buildings were as white and sparkly as those in the Noble’s Quarter. The wooden upper levels were still there, but the waschen had pretty much transformed the city.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” I said.

“We certainly need not fear the reproach of outsider merchants now...” Ferdinand remarked, looking around the lower city with a satisfied expression. I had worried that the commoners would undo all of our efforts in no time at all, but it seemed they were doing a fine job at keeping things clean.

This must be because of how hard Dad and the others have been working.

That said, the lower city felt so different from what I remembered that I struggled to relax. I found myself glancing all around, taking in all the new sights, until we eventually arrived at the Italian restaurant.

A store employee opened the door for us to reveal twenty-plus large-store owners kneeling side by side in the entrance hall. Gustav spoke the lengthy greetings used for nobles; then we were taken to the dining hall. Several square tables were lined up in preparation for a large group to eat together.

Ferdinand and I were due to be seated in the chairs farthest from the door. Fran and the others were standing nearby, having arrived earlier than us, and Rosina was already playing the harspiel.

“This way, Lady Rozemyne.” Freida guided Ferdinand and me to our seats as the soft music continued to play. Damuel and Justus guarded the door, while Eckhart and Angelica followed behind Ferdinand and me, respectively. I was able to identify my seat at a glance, since it had one of the cushions I often used in the temple on it. Fran graciously helped me up.

Empty plates were already laid out on the table. Ferdinand and I were next to each other at the narrow end of the long rectangle, and sitting nearby were Gustav, Benno, Otto, and several other familiar faces. Also at the table were the store owners who often gave the Italian restaurant their patronage, and the store owners who regularly worked with Benno and the others. The less familiar I was with them, the farther away they were seated.

Thank goodness. I’d much rather be seated near people I know than people I don’t.

I glanced over at Benno and Otto with a smile before looking across all those gathered. “I thank you ever so much for coming here today. Freida, the manager, has told me how frequently you all patronize this restaurant.”

I started naming and thanking the store owners who visited often to indicate that I was similarly invested in the restaurant. They widened their eyes in surprise, having never expected to be thanked so personally, and then gave proud smiles. Being recognized by the archduke’s adopted daughter meant they could tell others they were a step closer to earning my favor.

“I have asked you all to gather today because I have a request for the major store owners who collectively represent Ehrenfest,” I continued. It was hard to see those seated farthest away from me, but I could tell that their attention was directed at me. “Our duchy is facing a time of great change...”

I went on to explain that Ehrenfest trends were spreading in the Royal Academy, and that while the number of merchants visiting from other duchies was limited now, there would soon be a great deal more coming to the lower city.

“Aub Ehrenfest hopes to use this opportunity to strengthen our influence with other duchies,” I said. “To that end, we need your assistance without fail.”

I explained that the city-wide magic had been used in preparation of welcoming the outsider merchants, and that it was up to the commoners to maintain the cleanliness of the lower city. I glanced over at Ferdinand and he gave a small nod, signaling for me to continue.

“However, preserving this beauty is not enough. The city of Ehrenfest has never welcomed so many merchants into its walls at once, so there will surely be chaos when they arrive. Gustav has already identified that there will not be enough accommodations of a high enough standard.”

Everyone nodded in response. “There may be one or two more inns established by next year, but they will not be ready in time for the merchants’ arrival,” one store owner said.

“That is why we are asking for your help. We need you to learn as much as you can about the cities of other duchies so that you may better accommodate our guests. If you require the assistance of nobles, I will do what I can to help. I will also use any information the Merchant’s Guild receives to make more informed decisions.”

There were quite a few store owners blinking at me in surprise, since nobles generally made no attempt to cooperate with commoners. I needed to ensure they were motivated, else our business with other duchies would suffer. And if our business suffered, everyone would suffer—the archduke, the nobles, and the commoners.

“Furthermore, it has been decided that two brides from Ahrensbach will be joining us at the end of summer. I imagine much work will need to be done to accommodate them as well.”

They would require new furniture, we would need more food to hold a welcoming feast, and there would be more people purchasing new clothes and ornaments. The marriages of nobles had always affected the economy, but the impact was going to be especially large this time around, what with everyone being so busy.

“There are plans for a competitive event to be held at the start of autumn,” I continued. “It is being overseen by the Gilberta Company and the Dyeing Guild, but many nobles are also involved, including the archduchess and various archnobles. I intend to give one participant my exclusive business and award them a new title related to fashion, in a similar vein to the Gutenbergs. I seek the assistance of any store owners who do business in fashion.”

The atmosphere of the room changed in an instant. “A new title?” some asked in slightly raised voices. Otto, in contrast, remained perfectly calm.

Having sensed that my speech was over, Freida approached me and asked whether I would like to begin the meal. Ferdinand nodded in response, so a number of employees came in and started serving drinks. Fran poured me a cup of somewhat sweet-smelling juice.

My plate was decorated with appetizers, a faux caprese salad made with pome, cheese, and herbs, and a cooked vegetable dish made with what looked to be broccoli and cauliflower. According to Freida, the vegetables had been cooked in consommé before being thoroughly grilled, so they were pleasantly infused with the thick flavor of the soup.

Once everyone had their food and drinks, Ferdinand stood up.

“O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies who doth grace us with thousands upon thousands of lives to consume, O mighty Eternal Five who rule the mortal realm, I offer thanks and prayers to thee, and do take part in the meal so graciously provided.”