Published: July 26, 2025
The next day, before the third bell rang, I arrived at the Central Plaza with Lutz and waited for Frieda. Come to think of it, I hadn't asked anything that could help identify Frieda, like her hair color or general appearance.
“What should we do, Lutz?”
“She’ll probably call out to us, right?”
“...Do you think she'll recognize us?”
“Of course. Myne’s hairpin is unique, plus your grandfather is right there. If we ask him, we’ll find out immediately.”
Lutz pointed towards the Merchant Guild building facing the Central Plaza and shrugged.
Indeed, it seemed like we’d find out quickly.
“Hey, Lutz. How was yesterday? At my place...”
Yesterday, Lutz and I sold paper to Benno and brought home money for the first time.
Everyone at home was wide-eyed, but when I told them I made paper with Lutz, they praised me, saying, “Amazing,” and “You worked hard.”
Also, the first salary I handed over was added to the household expenses, and we decided to buy a little extra honey, a luxury for preparing for winter.
“How about you, Lutz? Do you think your family will accept you becoming a merchant?”
Though Benno recognized Lutz as an apprentice because we made paper together, I wondered how his family felt. Did they acknowledge Lutz’s enthusiasm?
Lutz made a bitter face and shrugged.
“...It's complicated. They were glad I earned money, but being a merchant? Not yet. My dad told me that since I made paper with Myne, I should become a paper craftsman. As long as I become a craftsman, it's fine.”
“Looks like Lutz’s father really wants him to be a craftsman.”
I understand the pride in making things yourselves, but since it’s not what Lutz wants, finding common ground would be difficult.
“But I don’t want to be a craftsman. I want to do business like Benno’s master, traveling outside this town. Myne, you don’t just want to make paper, right?”
“No. After I learn to mass-produce paper, I want to leave paper-making to others and move toward making books. If there aren’t more books, there won’t be bookstores, and a library would remain a distant dream.”
To increase the number of books, just mass-producing paper isn’t enough. Printing technology is absolutely necessary. It’s no good to be happy making books of just a few stacked sheets of memo paper.
...There’s still a long way to go.
“If I run a bookstore with Myne, that would be fine. Yesterday, I noticed the Merchant Guild has bookshelves, and I thought—people who want books are probably the wealthy who can read, right?”
“Well, yeah.”
It’s natural that commoners in this town, who can’t read, wouldn’t want books. “Books? What’s that? Are they tasty?” they’d probably ask.
“In that case, a bookstore can sell to nobles from various towns, like the neighboring lord’s place on the map.”
Thinking about the customers who would buy books, that might be true.
As I silently looked down at the map, admiring Lutz shaping his own hopes, small footsteps stopped right in front of me.
“Are you Myne?”
“Huh!? Ah, yes! That’s me. Are you Frieda?”
“Yes. Nice to meet you today.”
Frieda smiled gently. Her cherry-pink hair was tied in twin tails that looked soft, and her brown eyes held a calm smile. She was a lovely little girl.
She seemed well-bred or strictly disciplined; her gestures and words were mature, yet she looked shorter and younger than her age. I couldn’t say much, but it was an unbalanced impression.
However, no matter how I looked, she didn’t resemble the Guild Master at all. The rumor that she looked like the Guild Master seemed false. I was glad Benno’s worries were groundless.
“You’re Myne’s companion? I thought it’d be just girls…”
Frieda puffed her cheeks slightly as she looked at Lutz.
Indeed, girl-to-girl conversations are enticing, but only when you’re close and comfortable. We were going to the Guild Master’s house today. I couldn’t go alone.
I smiled brightly and held Lutz’s hand, seeing his annoyed expression at Frieda’s words.