Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 110: Go to the Forest

The next day, I go to the Gate with my father. We are going out to look for Tau fruit, in order to gather more Tronbay. Lutz goes to the orphanage and brings along the orphans. We will gather at the Gate, and then go to the forest.

"Is it a boy or a girl? Which do you prefer, dad?"

The conversation with my father now is only about the baby. Similar topics are as more as endless. Because I can hardly wait, I cannot help but talk about it. Tuuli recently said, "It's good that Maine talks to her father more often now." But she doesn't talk too much with me.

"… It's difficult to tell. If it's a boy, I'm able to have a company at home finally. If it's a girl, she will be a lovely girl."

"I think either will be lovely! I will make a lot of picture books and read them to it."

"Ah, I see, I see."

Soon after we arrive at the gate, Lutz comes, accompanied by the children of the orphanage.

"Lutz, please take care of Maine," says father.

"Ok. The boy will carry her on his back," Lutz replies.

He points at a boy who is strong even among the apprentices. The boy squats, and carries me on his back. If I go on my feet, they will think me a burden. So I don't have any other choice.

"Is it the first time for Miss Maine to go to the forest?"

I nod at Gil, who looks very excited. Because I go to the temple every day, I cannot go to the forest by myself. Lutz's task is very difficult, because he has to take care of the orphans. This time he brings along an apprentice to carry me, so the orphans can walk fast in the forest as well.

"Pick up the Tau fruits, and cut the wood. We can save the money to buy food and firewood for the winter."

It is even difficult for the four of my families to prepare for the coming winter. I don't know how much it will cost to make winter preparation for the orphanage. Thanks to God's grace, we only need to compensate for the insufficiency, but I'm not sure how much we still need to pay.

It is recent years that I started picking firewood in the forest. Let's not discuss the small branches for the present. But the big wood blocks usually cost 1 to 3 years before they become dry firewood. Almost all of this winter's firewood has to be bought.

"It's great that we can stay in a warm room in winter without starving. … But we can't make paper, or go to the forest in winter, right? Then what will we do?"

Basically, the children live in the orphanage, and have no other place to go. They can follow me to have a walk between the orphanage and forest when we make paper. Thus they get the chance to go out to the forest. But we cannot go to the forest in winter, so they can only stay at the orphanage again. Gil pouts for feeling bored.

"I have to think about some handiwork that can be done at the orphanage during the winter."

Although Tuuli and mother have a contract with Corinna to do the handwork of making hair decoration, they have not contracted with the orphanage to have the children do it. So I'd better think out something new.

When I arrive at the forest, all that I have to do is standing at the meeting place. So I walk around, picking up some fruits to taste, and some wood. Then everyone returns with their collections.

They have four tau fruits. So many tau fruits, like bloated water balloons, were picked at the Star Festival. Here we can only find very few, which have been cracked by some beasts.

I hold the tau fruit handed to me and inject the mana into it. Its shape changes as I watch it. I've got used to this a little. All the children hold the knives or edged tools, in a battle state.

"Go!"

"Good! Come on! Fast-growing tree!"

When I throw the Tau fruit, the tree surrounded by children begins to sprout.

From now on, my duty is done.

I will wait till the end. When I am watching the children sitting on a large stone and cutting the tree skillfully, I begin to think about handicrafts for the orphanage.

… Suddenly, I remember that last winter I was busy making hair ornaments and directing Lutz's study. …Oh! It may be good to have children learn how to read.

Since we have a lot of time, so how about teaching children the letters? I'd better prepare stone boards and textbooks and have a try in the classroom of temple during the winter. I can teach reading, writing and calculation. Now I decide to improve the literacy rate of Maine's Workshop -- a studio for book-making.

Literacy is a basic requirement for attendants. But it's alright for children to master it, even if they don't work as attendants in their future.

… So, maybe I can ask Wilma to make picture books as children's Scriptures.

If the children's Scriptures are converted into easy-to-understand words, they should be easier than ordinary stories for children of the orphanage to understand.

Besides, if picture books will be used as textbooks, I want to create a mass-production system here. Because it's impossible for Wilma to draw so many illustrations for so many children, each of whom will have serval books.

… However, there is no printing machine.

When it comes to mass production, first I think about printing. Either for letterpress or for mimeograph, I have to make the tools from the first step. So I do not know whether it can be done before winter comes.

Compared with that of Japanese, basic characters of the language in this world are less. So I think that the letterpress should be somehow manageable.

… Hm. But letterpress is difficult, for it's hard to operate the compressor unless the operator is strong enough. If I ask children to operate, maybe mimeograph is better.

It would be fine if I ask Johann of the blacksmith workshop to make iron pens. But I don't know how to make stencils. Now is the busiest season of the year for the wax workshop has to prepare for the coming winter. So I don't think that it is available to help me for new products development.

… If so, maybe I should choose engraving.

Then I decide to make the first textbook with the simplest engraving.

I ask Vilma to draw a picture on a board, and then ask the woodwork workshop to carve it. I'm sure many picture books will be easily printed in this way.

Meanwhile, I think about the mimeograph. First of all, I have to consider how to make stencils. Making paper is the job of Maine's Workshop.

"Ok, just do it!"

I'm excited upon the plan of making books, and I stand up clenching my fists. Lutz, after putting the Tronbay into the basket, holds a new Tau fruit in his hand, and looks down at me with suspicious expression in his eyes.

"Maine, do not forget to report, contact, and consult before you take any action."

"Yes…"

… I'm going to consult Mr. Benno tomorrow, even if Lutz has not looked at me in that way. It's true. I promise.