Ascendance of a Bookworm

Volume 6 Chapter 18: The Orphanage and Workshop’s Visitors (Part 2)

The boys and priests inside the workshop stopped their work, gathered by the wall and knelt down. The others from the Gilberta Company did the same too.

“Now that it is spring, we have begun making plant paper again. Once we have made enough, we can start making the picture books.”

Because they couldn’t go to the forest today, the boys in the workshop had been busy laying out the pulp and drying the paper.

Sylvester looked around the workshop and snorted.

“Myne, where do you make the toys?”

“We only make them during winter, so now is not the time. We can just order the materials needed to make them but making paper comes first,” I explained.

Sylvester blinked his green eyes, looking bamboozled.

“Why would you make paper and picture books when the toys are more profitable and fun?”

“That’s because I want books.”

What’s the issue with using my own workshop to make what I want? Nothing. I didn’t start making books for the money. I just wanted them and the Myne Workshop exists for that purpose too.

Sylvester’s mouth went agape, clearing in disbelief at what I said.

“Wow… So you seriously just do whatever you want to?”

“… I don’t want to hear that from you, Brother Sylvester.”

Nobody was as carefree and did whatever they wanted like Sylvester. Sylvester and I exchanged glares after being offended by the opposite’s words. The High Priest, who had been watching us argue, rubbed his head.

“That doesn’t change the fact that you both are give me headaches.”

“Ngh…”

“Let’s move on from this, Myne. I want to see the workshop in business. Everyone, get back to work!”

Sylvester just completely ignored the High Priest’s brutal words and dismissed the gray priests so that they could get back to work. They swiftly stood up and returned to their posts. Sylvester’s demands just proved the point that he was crazier and wilder than me.

As the gray priests resumed their work, the others from the Gilberta Company remained kneeling on the ground.

“The High Priest already knows them, so I will introduce them to you only, Brother Sylvester. This is Benno from the Gilberta Company, and these are his Ieherl apprentices Lutz and Leon.”

“Oh, so he’s the merchant that sells the goods made here.”

Sylvester shifted his gaze from the busy workshop to Benno, Lutz and Leon.

“That’s right. Most of the things made here are sold through the Gilberta Company. The restaurant is also owned by them. The Giberata Company would be glad to engage you in their business discussions.”

“Is that so? Benno, you may raise your head. I give you permission to speak.”

“I am honoured, sir,” Benno said as he titled his head up.

But he froze when he made eye contact with Sylvester. He didn’t say his usual greetings and I only heard him gulp.

“Benno?” I asked.

It took Benno a while to squeeze out his greeting, “I am honoured by the blessing of the rivers of Flutrane the Goddess of Water who had brought us together for this serendipitous meeting.”

Sylvester seemed to be thinking of something as he rubbed his chin with a sinister grin. Why does he resemble a predator looking at prey?

“Benno, I’m quite interested in that restaurant of yours. I have always wanted a nice long conversation with you. Now, let’s go to the next room for that talk.”

“Yes, sire,” Benno replied and stood up trembling. His face was so pale, the look on his face sent me calling out to Sylvester.

“Brother Sylvester, please remember that you promised not to steal our chefs.”

“…I wasn’t even thinking about that. We’re just purely going to have a talk about business.”

“That’s fine, I guess.”

Benno was good at talking about business, so I guess there wasn’t a need for me to get involved.

“Myne, what is the purpose of this tool?” the High Priest asked me a question so I turned away from Sylvester who was walking away with Benno. The High Priest was looking at our original press that we were now modifying into the printing one.

“This is a printing press. It’s not completed yet but it’s looking much better than when I saw it before Spring Prayer. I’m looking forward to this so much.”

“How does it work? Damuel did report this but it was quite a vague explanation.”

To show the High Priest how it worked, I called Gil over to show it to him firsthand.

“Gil, please get the ink. High Priest, these are called letter pieces and are made of metal, you first have to put them in order to form the text you want.”

“…Letter pieces? They closely resemble small stamps.”

The High Priest picked up and rolled a letter piece in his hand. I asked Fran to help gather the letter pieces while I organised them to form a short sentence. Gil placed the ordered pieces in the forme and fixed it in with the two sliding boards on the side.

“Sister Myne, it is ready.”

“Could you help print a sheet? Please reuse a used sheet of paper so we don’t waste any.”

Gil lifted the forme onto the printing press and applied some ink on it. Then slotted a piece of sheet onto the press.

“My original plan was to make this part of the printing press movable such that if you move it over ,it will press down the letter pieces and distribute the ink evenly. But since we can’t make that yet, we will use a wooden plank to press it down. After that we can take out the paper and let it dry one side while we print the next. But for now we will try it out on this used sheet paper to save resources.”

Gil repetitively printed the same sentence on the paper. The High Priest looked shocked by this. I told him with pride, how the completed press will be able to speed up production because it could press the ink down much faster than the plank.

I was waiting for the High Priest to begin his fond praise of the printing press, but unlike what I expected he just pinched his forehead and sighed.

“I now understand… why you said this will change history.”

“Uhm… What?”

I expected the High Priest to be excited over this because he had quite a collection of expensive books, but that didn’t seem so. He looked down at me and gave me a smile - but he definitely didn’t seem happy about it because his golden eyes weren’t smiling.

“Myne, we will have a long talk about this.”

…Huh? But I did get Fran and Damuel to inform him of this? Why did it turn out like this?

That marked the end of the tour. Sylvester and Benno returned after a while, having finished their business discussion. Sylvester tried spreading the wood pulp and accidentally tore some of the paper when he placed them onto the drying rack, but that was within my expectations. Nothing was damaged in the workshop and Sylvester seemed quite happy, so I declared the tour a success in my heart. I knew that I would get an earful from the High Priest later, but, I should just be thankful that the tour was over.

The only thing that caught me off guard was how ghostly pale and exhausted Benno looked after his talk with Sylvester. He walked with me back to my chambers, the moment we entered his head dropped down. He looked so drained that he couldn’t return without taking a break here first.

“Benno, what on earth did Brother Sylvester say to you? I can help make a complaint to the High Priest if he did anything to you. That is if you want it.”

I did not have the power to do much, but if Sylvester had been over the board with his actions the High Priest would definitely take some action. I thought that Benno would thank me for the offer but he just kept silent and dropped a fist onto my head.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“…This is because of you,” he sulked with a complicated look and he raised his fist for another go.

I clutched the top of my head for protection, shooting him a glare with tears in my eyes.

“What did I even do?!”

“I can’t say anything… I can’t, but just know that this is your fault.”

“Was he trying to push you to trade the chefs?”

That was the only thing that came to mind when it came to Sylvester troubling Benno. Contrary to my thoughts, Benno just blinked with surprise at my question and shook his head

“No.”

“Then what was it?”

Benno continued sulking, looking vexed about something. He lifted his hand to roughen up his gelled hair and groaned.

“…Never mind. At least I got a once in a lifetime opportunity here, but I’m not confident that I can live up to it.”

“Well, I still don’t know what’s going on but all the best to you.”

I tried to give him my well wishes for his success despite not knowing the situation, but that seemed to have just made Benno annoyed. He started pinching both of my cheeks.

“Dat hurssch… Benno, would you like to have your lunch here?”

“No, I wanna go home and organise my thoughts.”

After he turned down my offer, he shot up his seat and made his way out of my chambers, dragging his feet on the ground like a deadbeat salaryman going home.

Seriously, what on earth did Sylvester say?

~~~

Later that afternoon, I received two letters in my chambers. The first one was the High Priest invited me to his torture (lecture) room. The visit was set two days later, in the afternoon before I would return home. I quickly wrote my reply knowing that I might live through his lecture because I was going to be reunited with my family after that.

The other letter’s sender was Sylvester. He thanked me for being the guide for today’s visitation and demanded that I continue to be the guide for his trip to the forest tomorrow. It was certainly troublesome to receive such an order, but it would be a hurdle for me to carry it out given that I was so feeble and would need a guard.

“Sir Damuel, I don’t think it would be suitable for me to go to the forest, right?” I asked him while flicking the corner of the paper.

Damuel, who would have to be my guard, gave a long sigh with an annoyed look.

“Apprentice, do you think you are even capable of making it that far on foot?”

“It’s possible. I did walk to the forest frequently before I was baptized… Just that it would always take quite some time.”

The number of adult men that could withstand my slow pace was only a handful, so it meant that I was carried more times than I walked. But I was still very confident that I could walk some distance, just at a slower pace than everyone else.

“Alright, let’s say that you can make it there on foot. Our main concern right now, is that as your bodyguard, I do not think it’s a wise choice to have a shrine maiden like you in a forest. It would be a much better choice to have someone else be his guide.”

The person in question was Sylvester. Dad was not an option because his next break wasn’t til the day after next. Tuuli said that he planned his day off to sync the day I was coming home so that he could pick me up. Tuuli would likely do the same as him, so they both would be busy with work tomorrow.

“The only possible one I could ask for help is Lutz, but that would be really stressful for him.”

Lutz would be going to the forest tomorrow with the orphans if it was sunny, so it was a wiser choice to ask him. I prefered making Leon do it since he was older and better able to handle Sylvester. But being a merchant’s son, I didn’t think he would be familiar with the forest since his lifestyle rarely required him to frequent it.

~~~

I was in the middle of my harspiel practice when Gil came barging in even though he had just left for the workshop a moment ago.

“Sister Myne, the blue priest is already at the workshop! Uhm, I meant, the blue priest currently awaits in the workshop.”

Gil’s first task of the day would be to open the workshop by second bell, and he would prepare the things first while the grey priests eat their breakfast. But today, when he went to open the workshop, Sylvester was already waiting by the door in the secondhand clothes with a smug look on his face.

Seeing this, Gil ran back to the chambers to inform me. I placed down my harspiel and followed him back to the workshop with Damuel.

I arrived at the same time breakfast was over in the orphanage. The gray priests and the children were already carrying their baskets, kneeling on the ground, waiting to head to the forest. Standing in front of them was Sylvester who had a bow slung across his shoulder.

“Good morning, Brother Sylvester.”

“You’re late, Myne.”

He was glaring daggers at me, but it wasn’t my fault.

“You arrived much sooner than the agreed time, Brother Sylvester. I’m sure you have noticed that you arrived before the others finished their breakfast. Just to note, I will not be taking you to the forest because I am not capable enough.”

“Yeah, you walk way too slow. So, who’s going to be my guide?”

Sparks were flying in Sylvester’s green eyes as he looked around fervently and his blueish-purple hair kept swishing behind him. His silver hair band looked out of place with the secondhand clothes he was in.

“It’s usually Lutz or Leon who takes the children to the forest. You know, the Ieherls from the Gilberta Company. I’ll ask Lutz to take you there today, so please wait for him here.”

I pointed to a box on the side and told him to take a seat, but he continued standing and walked around the workshop because he was too excited. I let out a long sigh.

“Brother Sylvester, are you really interested in going to the forest?”

“Of course I am. I even went all the way to get you to buy me these dirty clothes. Here, have a look. I look good in it, don’t I?”

Sylvester looked so smug about himself and spread his arms to better show off his clothes. To be honest, it didn’t look good on him at all. In fact, it looked weirder on him that I thought it would have. There was no way he was pulling off this disguise, he looked just like a rich person cosplaying as a commoner for fun.

Regardless, I could tell he was indeed looking forward to the hunting trip. He even wore some worn out leather boots with the secondhand clothes. He probably opted for the boots because the wooden ones would be too hard to walk in. Though the bow was way too fancy and well-crafted compared to those seen in the lower city. His appearance told me that he was just planning to go down to hunt.

“Brother Sylvester, if you really wish to hunt in the lower city’s forest, please promise me that you will listen to everything Lutz tells you.”

Sylvester’s expression turned grim when I said this.

I knew as a commoner, I was much lower in status than nobles. Though in the temple, as fellow blue priests, we were of equal status here. The High Priest was not here to watch Sylvester, so I had to step up this time.

“Just like that of the noble’s forest, we have rules in the lower city’s forest. There are different spots for hunting and gathering in the forest, and of course there are plenty of other unspoken rules for hunters. If you use your authority to break the rules and punish anyone who opposes you, then you shouldn’t have entered the forest in the first place.”

Everyone in the lower city agreed on a wide array of unspoken rules, including the unbaptized children that went to do gathering. This was so that everyone could utilise the forest to its best. If anyone broke the rules, others might get hurt, if Sylvester were to do that, I would require the High Priest’s assistance in stopping him.

Sylvester listened to me with a grave look, and he nodded back in response.

“This will be my first time hunting there, so of course I will listen to my guide’s instructions.”

Just then, Lutz and Leon walked in, both of them were in the appropriate attires for the forest.

“Good morning, Myne. It’s quite rare for you to be in the workshop.”

“Good morning, Lutz. Good morning, Leon.”

“Good morning, Sister Myne.”

After exchanging our morning greetings, they noticed that Sylvester had been looking at them with an inpatient look, so they rushed forward to greet him too. They didn’t hide their looks of surprise at seeing the blue priest from yesterday now dressed in dirty old clothes. I stepped forward to tell them that Sylvester expressed interest in hunting in the forest.

“Lutz, I’m very sorry for the inconvenience, but I have to trouble you to take Sylvester to the forest. Leon and Gil, I trust that you both will look after the children as they work in the forest?”

“As you wish.”

Sylvester shifted his bow and trekked off towards the forest with Lutz and everyone else.

“I keep thinking that something bad is going to happen.”

“I’m sure that it will be fine. Let’s return to your quarters, apprentice.”

I doubt Sylvester knows what’s best for him, I kept those thoughts to myself as we made our way back.

~~~

Lutz came clambering into my chambers at about the sixth bell, right before the sun had set.

“Myne, could we borrow your chefs? We need help with the load of meat we got.”

I didn’t feel good about making my chefs do more stuff right before when they were about to leave, but it would be much better to get experienced people to butcher the animals. The work would be awfully slow if we had the children do it instead.

“Fran, may I ask you to get Hugo and the others to help out? In the meantime, let’s go to the workshop, Sir Damuel.”

The first sight that came into view was the blood and feather covered entrance to the workshop. I saw the children furiously plucking some dead birds. It didn’t take long for Hugo and Ella to arrive with their knives. They were surprised by the view and let out an impressed “woah…”. Sylvester heard this and puffed out his chest.

“Look at this, Myne! Got a lot of them, hm? This is quite the sight, right? I did it all.”

“Welcome back, Brother Sylvester.”

It was surprising to see Sylvester this happy. It turned out he managed to hunt a small deer and four birds. Hugo and Ella took their knives and quickly got to cutting the deer.

“Ella, it seems like the blood has already been drained, let’s work on taking out the guts first because they rot the fastest. It’s getting quite late so we can cook the meat tomorrow.”

I just stood a good distance away from the professional butchers, trying to detach myself from the bloody reality I was looking at. Soon, the kids began cheerfully telling me what had happened during the day while plucking the birds.

This was the first time they got to see how meat got prepared, and they were definitely excited seeing how they talked about it so cheerfully while plucking the feathers. They were growing and learning so much, and so was I because I used to scream and faint from the mere sight of blood.

“Sister Myne, Brother Syl is so cool. A bird came crashing down from the sky, and apparently it was Brother Syl who shot it down with an arrow!”

“We hooked it onto a branch and drained its blood, there was so much that the ground turned completely red.”

“After that more animals came to eat the birds, but Brother Sylvester hunted them too! But we didn’t take them back because he said that their meat was hard and tasteless.”

The children were so excited to tell me stories of Sylvester’s brave adventures, but the very thought of a bloody forest got me squirmish.

Sylvester had a haughty grin on his face as he relished in the children’s high praise.

“Brother Sylvester, you’re quite amazing to be able to hunt this much in a day. What will you do with them all? Would you like us to take them to your kitchen?”

I suggested that as I thought that he would prefer his own chefs to butcher his meat, but Sylvester just shook his head furiously. It almost made me think that he didn’t want anyone finding out about it.

“Nah, it’s fine, I don’t need them. Uhm… The kids can have it all.”

“YAY!! Thank you so much, Brother Syl!”

The children were overjoyed that they got the chance to eat more meat than they have ever had in their life. They were so excited that they showered Sylvester with more praises, and their eyes sparkled for a new profound food craving. (TL’s note: the second half of this sentence is a bit awkward, wasn’t sure how to translate it)

“…Uhm, what’s with ‘Brother Syl’?”

I just realised that the kids were addressing him by a nickname. I was a little nervous asking, thinking that Sylvester might get offended.

“Oh yeah, they struggled to say “Sylvester’, so I gave them the permission to shorten it. But not for you okay?”

“Why can’t I?”

I was confused and cocked my head to the side. Sylvester let out a snort and gave me a teasing look.

“It’s not like I’ll ever see the kids again unless I visit the orphanage another time. But it’s different for us, we will still see each other quite frequently. A dense kiddo like you might slip up and address me the wrong way at the wrong time.”

It didn’t feel good that Sylvester called me dense, but I couldn’t say anything against that. My head dropped down as my mind began to subconsciously agree with whatever he said.

“I guess you’re right.”

Sylvester burst out laughing and poked my cheek.

“I haven’t had this much fun for a while. I’ll give this to you as thanks.”

Sylvester stretched out his fist and relaxed his fingers. Inside, the content was not what I was expecting (like a bug or twig from the forest), but a necklace with an onyx-looking gem.

“Er, thank you for the gift. But what is it? Some sort of magic tool…?”

“Kind of, but it’s not used to channel your mana. Praying with it will not do anything.”

I nodded, recognising that it was probably a tool for a specific feature like the one used to block out sound. I raised my head to look at Sylvester.

“So, what’s it for then?”

“I’ll be leaving the duchy for a while. This is a protective charm. If you ever find yourself in danger, press down a drop of blood onto the gem and I’ll save you.”

I didn’t think I would ever find myself in a situation where I would need Sylvester’s help, if I did need help, I could always look for the High Priest. But there was no harm accepting a gift.

“Turn around, I’ll help you put it on.”

I twirled around like Sylvester told me to, but he clicked his tongue.

“Put your hair away. How am I supposed to put it on with it in the way? Have you never had a boy give you an accessory?”

“I did receive a hairpin from a boy before.”

Well it was Benno though. .

But even as Urano, I had never received a necklace from a man. To to be frank, no one else other than my family had given me an accessory. So it was surely an astonishing feat to be gifted a necklace by a man before turning eight.

…So it’s all about the looks? A pretty face is what it takes to be popular?

I was always teased by my childhood friend Shuu from my last life, he said that I will never be popular as long as I was this crazily obsessed with books. But maybe he was wrong this time, I just needed to reincarnate.

“Brother Sylvester, do I look cute wearing it?”

“A protective charm is not supposed to be a cute accessory. Just wear it and never take it off. Just follow what I say.”

…Sure I’m just a kid, but it wouldn’t hurt to praise me a little, right?

I filled my cheeks with air, giving an exasperated look in response to Sylvester’s rude attitude. But my cheeks just enticed him to squish my cheeks with his palms, causing the air in my mouth to puff out. Not only did he not let go, but he squished them harder.

“Myne, always keep this on you. Never take it off, not even for a second. Understand?”

This was the first time I had seen Sylvester’s green eyes this serious.