Published: August 3, 2025
I am Benno, the owner of the Gilberta Trading Company, 30 years old and single.
Everyone keeps bringing me more and more work! Are they trying to kill me!?
Early the morning after I was told that Myne had become Rosemine, I was summoned by the high priest. Since I knew various circumstances about Myne, I expected the summons, but I never thought it would come the very next morning after the commotion. Nobles usually take days to arrange an appointment, but this was way too fast.
When the second bell rang and the gates opened, more people came in with goods, and the shop got busy. Amid this hectic scene, Gil burst in, holding an invitation. I had never received an invitation with no specified date or time before—just “urgent” written on it.
“You two, I’m counting on you from here!”
In a hurry, Mark and I changed into our outfits and headed to the temple. This was a critically important meeting that would determine how the Gilberta Trading Company would be treated going forward.
Gunther warned me that if Rosemine, now a daughter of the high nobility, was deemed unnecessary, she could easily be eliminated.
“Good to see you, Benno of Gilberta Trading Company. Arnaud, please clear the room.”
Even the attendants were asked to leave for the private meeting with the high priest.
“Do you understand what this is about?”
“...It must be about Lady Rosemine, right?”
“You’re quick. Who else knows?”
There was no point lying here, and I wanted to avoid leaving a bad impression on the high priest, who was the person closest to Rosemine in the temple.
“When Myne’s family came to the shop, those present were me, Mark, Lutz, and one other apprentice. That’s all.”
I told him about the commotion in the downtown area I heard from Lutz and Otto, about Myne’s family coming to pick up Lutz, and about how Myne had sought refuge with us.
“Now that you mention it, I also received a report from Darmel that Lutz was caught up in the incident.”
After muttering this, the high priest began to speak about Rosemine’s future. The noble daughter entrusted to the temple had created the Rosemine Workshop to save an orphanage. Because of this achievement, Rosemine became the lord’s adopted daughter, and after the baptism ceremony, she was to be appointed as the head priest.
“By crafting a story about giving work and meals to orphans, they will cover up the unnatural fact that the workshop existed even before the baptism. Benno, you must carefully manage those involved with Gilberta Trading Company and Myne’s workshop. Keep in mind that it wouldn’t be surprising if you were eliminated at any time.”
“I understand.”
Though Myne’s father had told me this before, hearing it from a noble high priest made it feel much heavier.
“I know I’m asking you to handle troublesome and difficult matters, but I hope the lord, who is not very familiar with downtown, won’t get annoyed and just wipe out everyone connected to Rosemine from the start.”
I swallowed hard. Nobles would easily eliminate inconvenient commoners. It was obvious that the lord protecting the territory would side with whoever brought more money — Rosemine and us, or anyone else.
I put top priority on information control regarding Myne and Rosemine.
“Also, this. From the lord.”
The high priest handed me an order from the lord. It was a long, decorated document typical of nobles, but it boiled down to two main points.
One was, “Please accelerate the printing business plan,” and the other, “After the rite of star binding, we will go to the dining place, so have the shop completed and waiting.”
Do you understand my shock when the blue priest who came to visit the workshop turned out to be the lord?
I was surprised then, but this time my head hurt even more. I had thought there were two years to expand the printing business, but it suddenly collapsed right in front of me. My head spun.
But there was no time to be stunned. If I didn’t carry out this absurd order, my life would be at risk.