Published: August 3, 2025
A stir arose when Wilma, who had not left the girls' dormitory of the orphanage, suddenly appeared in the workshop.
“Wow! It’s Wilma!”
“Wilma is here!”
The children cheered and swarmed around Wilma, eagerly explaining what kind of work they had been doing and what skills they had acquired.
With the children's protective barrier, there was no chance for the gray priests to approach. And so, there was no need for me to step in to protect Wilma.
“...Well then, shall we start printing?”
With no need to guard Wilma anymore, I sighed and slumped my shoulders as I headed over to Lutz. Wilma followed behind me, still surrounded by the children’s barrier.
“Lutz, could you please print the title page and colophon first? I want to check if the ink spreads evenly with this roller.”
“Got it.”
Lutz placed the paper on the printing platform, then carefully laid the printing plate on top. The printing table was about A4 size, and the printing plates were A5.
For this picture book, the plan was to separate the text and illustrations onto different plates, one on top and the other below. Right now, the title page was on top and the colophon below.
“Is this correct?”
“Yes, it’s fine.”
After confirming with me, Lutz gently lowered the wooden frame with the mesh. Then he took out some ink, mixed it with a little oil on the marble slab, and kneaded it with the putty knife. Next, he rolled the mixture evenly onto the roller.
Ready, Lutz glanced at me briefly. When I nodded, he slowly rolled the roller over the mesh, several times vertically and horizontally, then set the roller back on the marble.
Gently lifting the wooden frame, the ink had stuck the printing paper firmly to the mesh side, leaving only the printed paper on the table.
The letters were clearly printed on the white paper. No smudges, no blurring.
“All right!”
“No problem at all. Please put these on the drying rack.”
After checking the printed title and colophon, I handed the paper to one of the gray priests. The priest placed the paper carefully on the shelf. Meanwhile, Lutz set new paper and continued printing diligently. Since the thick printing plates couldn’t be reused many times, it was best to print all copies at once.
We planned to print 30 copies this time. Some would go home with me, some placed in the temple room, some for Lutz, Benno, and the high priest. The rest would remain in the orphanage. Eventually, when the temple classroom opened, these would serve as textbooks.
“Next, we’ll print the main text and illustrations. Please prepare.”
Wilma grew tense at my words.
Lutz swapped the printing plates. He removed the title and colophon plates, replacing them with plates arranged for easy viewing—a two-page spread with text on the left and illustration on the right. The center was left wider for sewing during binding.
Feeling the gaze of both Wilma and Lutz on me, I looked at their faces and slowly nodded.
Even Lutz looked as nervous as Wilma as he spread the ink evenly over the mesh with the roller.
My heart pounded in sync with the motion.
Would it come out perfectly?
Would Wilma be satisfied with the illustration?
Praying silently, I watched as Lutz set down the roller and gently lifted the wooden frame. I thought I heard a collective gasp from those nearby.
“...Wow!”
“Incredible!”
The first voices came from the children clustered around Wilma.
The scene of the god of darkness meeting the goddess of light was beautifully depicted in just black and white. I had thought it would be wonderful when I saw the plate, but once the ink was applied, the contrast became strikingly clear.
The god of darkness, cloaked in a black mantle like the night sky, seemed to envelop the goddess of light, whose radiance shone upon the god’s long lonely existence. Fine shadows in the hair and folds in the clothing, which were invisible on the cut plate alone, were rendered with Wilma’s characteristic delicacy.
“It’s truly, truly wonderful.”
When I turned to Wilma, she was staring intently at the printed illustration, tears streaming down her cheeks.