Ascendance of a Bookworm

On the third day after I started caging in the temple, the clergyman wrote to me. "When will I be able to do the costume for the ritual that I am asking the Gilberta Chamber of Commerce".

As I was dismayed that it was not an announcement of the date of the interview, I asked Rosina to come to my room to Lutz, who teaches winter handiwork at the orphanage.

"Hey, Lutz. I got this letter from the chief cleric. I'm sorry, but could you ask Mr. Benno when we get back to the store for lunch?

"Okay."

As a result of Lutz asking me to come, I got a reply that it would take three more days no matter how quickly, so I would look a little extra time and write to the chief cleric in the afternoon saying, "If you work hard, he can do it in five days".

I asked Fran to take his reply and he came back with a reply to the decision on the date and time of the interview and an invitation to Benno at the same time.

"Lutz, I'm calling Master Calstead in seven days, so I think I want Mr. Benno to bring me a costume that I can make at that time."

I will visit the room with my return greeting and today's report, and I will keep my invitation as I stick to Lutz, who spoils me.

"I'll stop by the store on my way home and give it to you.... Nevertheless, Mine. You're not at all comfortable. Are you okay?"

"It's not very okay. I want to go home once before it snows."

Instead of getting used to loneliness, my homesickness is getting worse. In proportion to that, there is also an increasing amount of time to hold and sweeten Lutz and Touri who came to visit us in the room. I feel that my pregnant mother is not able to come here and is also circled in loneliness for not being sweet.

"Ha, when it starts snowing, I can't come every day either."

With a troubled face Lutz said so as he stroked my head. It's only once a week that my daytime father can come here for a while, and Touri roughly every two days. If Lutz stopped coming almost every day to see how the workshop was going and how the handiwork was going, I would miss him even more.

"I wish it didn't snow"

When it started snowing, it wasn't strange. When I thought of the cold outside, nature and strength caged in my arms clinging to Lutz.

On the day of the meeting, the snow finally began to fall slightly before the 3 bells rang. It doesn't come down enough to accumulate all of a sudden, but anyone can see that a full winter has arrived.

"Could it pile up?

"Not yet, Master Mine. There's nothing like missing today's meeting."

After Fesspiel's practice, he is made to practice greetings to Calstead. Rosina was forced to do an extended redo on the beautiful hem judgment. The road to elegance is tough.

"In the afternoon, Master Benno will ask, won't he? We don't have much time for practice anymore."

"Yes."

The time for today's talks had been decided to be five bells. Benno is supposed to visit my room first, calling it a pleasant visit to me.

"Hello, Mr. Benno, Mr. Marc.... Is that it? Is Lutz gone?

To match the nobility came Benno in a long winter outfit with cuffs and Marc in the box. I softly point my lips at the absence of Lutz, who I thought would come with me.

"It's starting to snow, so I'm asking Lutz to give priority to Mine Workshop today. In a while, you should be bringing one product at a time finished by hand in the winter. You take it to the meeting."

"Hand job? How so?

I tilted my neck, not sure why I had to take it to today's meeting, where there are clergy chiefs and senior nobles, not Benno, the merchant.

"I don't think it has much impact on selling it. I'd like to hear from the chief clergyman and senior nobles."

"Hmm, I think if we don't have something similar before, it would have a pretty big impact."

Answering that from the memory of the Reino period, when cards and reversions were widely popular, Benno looked at me with a very unpleasant look.

"... big impact? You don't even think about the impact of paper or printing, you just think about spreading it, big enough to say that the impact is huge?

"Uh, you know that paper and printing have enough influence to change history, right? Just make it because you need me..."

We know how much print has contributed to civilisation and cultural progress and how much it has had an impact. I know, but I want a book, so I can't help it.

"What is it, Mr. Benno? You look pale, don't you?

"I feel heavy...... You're gonna talk to the chief clergyman, surrounded by senior nobles, right?

Apparently Benno, who holds the area around his stomach, had something surprisingly delicate. I thought it was a belligerent personality selling fights to everyone, so I feel strange watching Benno nervous.

"Are you nervous when you're Mr. Benno who sells fights as a delight to the guild chief and to vested interests? They're both good people, so it's okay."

"Don't bring senior aristocrats and guild chiefs together, idiot! Who do you think caused this situation?!?

After yelling so, Benno dropped to poke at his desk. Pommerd or something, my forehead falls like a milk tee that should be tightly stiffened with a hair conditioner.

"Sir, please don't drool. Your forehead will be disturbed."

When Marc said so with a bitter smile, Benno abominably jumped up his forehead and stared at me.

"... damn. I just want you to split your weather right now."

"Huh? But you'd just pay for the ritual costume, wouldn't you? Happy to have crossed with a senior nobleman."

"I have no idea! There's no way I'm called to the temple just to deliver the costume, is there? I've decided to gather information about you."

I pointed at myself unexpectedly, bewitched by frustration.

"Me, sir?

"We've released the information we've looked into about the president of the Ink Association, and it should be a meeting to decide on future policies about your treatment. The information in Lower Town will be a discussion between me, the nobleman, the senior nobleman, and the chief clergyman who wants both."

Speaking of which, the Chief Cleric also said he would gather information. Until then, they told me not to leave the room. Does that mean information has been gathered?

"Mr. Benno, have you made any progress on the president of the Ink Association?

"No, nothing so far. As the cold gets harsher and the crowd gets smaller, it would stand out if the invisible guy wandered around the store. … unless you don't want to stand out, you've either collected the information you need or you're going to collect it at a winter social place"

During the winter, closed by snow, the aristocracy, scattered throughout the countryside, returns after the harvest festival. It takes spring to summer for the lords to head to the centre, but the social season of the nobles in the territory seems to be winter. They'll be exchanging information and face-to-face with lords everywhere there.

"Dear Mine, Dear Benno, it is your time"

"Thank you, Fran. Shall we come?"

Speak to Benno, and I will let Fran have a set of winter handiwork that Lutz brought me. I left the room, making sure Marc had a box with a ritual costume in it.

The corridor leading to the clergyman's room is harsh with cold. It's the cold that makes me hate leaving the room.

We arrived in front of the clergyman's room, and when Fran rang the bell, the door opened. Calstead already seemed to have arrived and I can see him gracefully drinking tea at the reception table.

"Chief Cleric, Dear Calstead, We are out of time. It's been a long day to miss the warmth of Gedurlich, the goddess of earth, but have you changed?

Though I had only seen him solidify his whole body with armor, today Calstead was wearing an aristocratic costume. I can see at a glance that the forehead is a bit spreading because the red tea hair is stiffened with a hair conditioner just like Benno's.

The sleeves of fabric jackets like glossy billoads are still sloppy and long like shakers. From its cuffs, the fabric is visible with multiple layers of luxurious lace.

Calstead was very pierced because of his strength, wide shoulders and overall muscular thickness. However, it is somewhat less fierce than when I was wearing armor. Thin blue eyes are a little soft today.

"That doesn't seem the same. Above all, Witch Apprentice Mine. Bless the encounter with the guidance of the gods."

"I wish you my most sincere blessings"

When I finish my greeting without fail, Benno next greets me.

When the clergyman recommends and seats him, a squire stands behind him. The chief cleric sits on the top seat, Calstead on the left, me on the right, and Benno on the bottom seat.

"You've gathered well. First, have the ritual costume delivered."

Marc stepped forward to the word of the chief cleric and gave him the wooden box he had in his hand to Benno. Benno, who nodded gently, opens the box with a polite hand and offers it to Calstead.

Inside the wooden box was clothed, and there was a deep ocean-like blue ritual costume. In a dim room with some candlesticks already lit, the embroidered running water lines reflect the light twirling.

"This will be Mayne's ritual costume."

Calstead looked gently inside and said to me, "Are you sure about this?" I ask. I am temporarily sewn to length once, and looking at the real thing, so I checked my costume and belt and nodded, "No doubt about it".

Calstead closes the box and offers it to me softly.

"Then put this on Witch Apprentice Mine. … I want you to take it"

"Thank you."

And he made sure that I had received it, and moved his jaw with difficulty. That's when I first realized it was Dermuel, the escort knight then, who was attached today as Calstead's lowest surname.

Darmuel gives Benno a leather bag with money. Confirming the amount inside, Benno gave it to Marc.

"Hmm, that would put an end to the punishment. Benno, that sounds like a lot of haste, but thank you for your hard work."

Benno, as well as Calstead and Dermuel, exhaled in a hospitable manner at the words of the clergyman, who watched the series of exchanges still.

I ask Fran for a box with a ritual costume. Fran moved like I got it, and he held it for me.

"Stand down for once."

That's what the chief clergyman said, taking off his side service, and installing an anti-bugging magic device. That was not to designate a person, but to designate a range, so that Benno, without magic, could also be used. Four demonic stones are placed, and the space is enveloped in a pale blue light in the form of a quadrangular column at the same time as the clergyman says something.

Beyond the pale light I can see the side servants refrain, but I can't even hear that sound over there. Likewise, I guess I'm trying not to get through this sound.

On my right side, admiring whether there was such a thing, I could see Benno pulling his face all the time. I've gotten used to it here lately, but it seems natural for people in the lower town to be surprised when they see magic like this.

But Benno is just the husband of the big store. I didn't raise my voice or just glance around, just slightly pulling my face even though I was surprised.

"Okay, Benno. I need to ask you something else."

"... Whatever"

Benno crosses his hands in front of his chest at the word of the chief cleric.

"Shortly after we exchanged contract magic with the Ink Society, they started looking for me about Mine, and I heard Rutz had become that target, so what's the mistake?

"No. Originally, we gather information before contracting in order to enter into a contract in a slightly advantageous situation. I can't grasp your intention to get information right after finishing the contract."

He nodded at Benno's words, and the chief cleric turned his gaze to me.

"Is Mine familiar with that person?

"No, I didn't know my face or my name because Benno kept me from seeing each other at the time of the contract."

"The president of the Ink Association is also a person with a deep connection to the nobility and many rumors that it is not good. Since we decided that contact with Master Mine should be reduced as much as possible, we asked you to wait in a separate room when signing the contract."

When Benno gave the reason for not letting me and the president of the Ink Society meet, the chief clergyman lifted the edge of his lips with a hoot and narrowed his eyes.

"Hmm, that was an English break. Are you sure that the president of that ink association is Wolfe?

"What kind of rumors did you hear? What makes you think it's harmful to a witch apprentice?

Benno gets a quick question from the clergyman and Calstead about the arrow. I don't know the president of the Ink Association, so I just have to listen in silence.

"The president of the Ink Association is definitely Wolf.... Rumor has it that he is also a person who dyes his hands in crime if he wants the aristocrats to do him a favor. Forgive me for the details, as I don't know as much about the rumors as they are true or false"

Calstead frowned and stroked his jaw, whining, "Ho..."

"Then why didn't you finish the contract first and then do the blatant information-gathering because it's okay for the relationship to deteriorate if it's after the contract?

Benno opened his eyes lightly to Calstead's point.

Contract magic is not easy to break. That is why it is important to prepare in advance. But on the contrary, no matter how dangerous the atmosphere becomes with the Ink Society, even if harm is done to me, contract magic cannot break the contract without the consent of everyone.

After pointing out that they might have used that point, Benno shows his face for a moment that is likely to bite his teeth.

"Benno, what do you think Wolfe's going to do with Mine's information? I want to know how merchants think from a human perspective in Lower Town"

Benno slowly chooses words for the chief cleric.

"For us merchants, Master Mine's value is the goods that are created one after the other and the knowledge that creates them. But not so many know exactly its value. If Wolff felt worthy of Master Mine's products and knowledge, he would want to belong to the Ink Association. But Master Mine belongs to the Guilberta Chamber of Commerce and the Commercial Guild. Then we'll leave it to the money to try to gain knowledge alone, kidnap and threaten to gain knowledge, or demand knowledge from hostages around Master Mine."

Calstead listened to Benno and looked at me with suspicious eyes. You must also think that you can't produce one new product after another for me with the appearance that the baptism ceremony is not over.

"It's just that I don't think you can get all the knowledge where you kidnapped Master Mine and threatened him. If we want more money, we can't erase our existence, and we have to keep imprisoned to keep it out of anyone's sight, but we think this is difficult"

I was relieved by the way Benno treated me. I never thought about the danger of being caught and imprisoned for making money. I find out how Benno, the husband of the big store, has treated me so well that I'm afraid of my surroundings.

"Why is it so difficult to incarcerate? If you had a room or mansion that you don't normally use, it would be easy to imprison, right? It's harder to grab people without seeing them."

Calstead frowns. I'm scared of Calstead, who says incarceration is easy.

"If the other person is not fully aware of Master Mine's frailty, it will result in Master Mine being dead at some point. In Master Mine's case, incarceration is more difficult than kidnapping."

"Hmm, sure. If you put it in the reflection room for half a day, you'll have a fever for a few days and fall asleep. If you treat me like a normal prisoner, don't die before I bring you information"

The clergyman nodded quickly at Benno's words. So much so that one of the reflection rooms is pulling its tail. That much fever is a routine tea meal, so it would be easier if you forgot. Finally, I wish you would also forget that I am the only blue witch put in the reflection room.

"Then where Wolfe has gained some knowledge, it seems likely that he will sell it to the nobles, Master Ferdinand"

"... I know that Master Mine eats himself, but is there any other reason for him to be targeted by nobles besides being eaten?

Benno frowns. After the clergyman and Calstead exchanged their gazes, the clergyman nodded small toward Benno.

"I'm not going to let you know more... for a reason. Looks like Wolfe will most likely sell it to the nobles after he grabs Mine and gets the information. There are other possibilities for nobles to let Wolfe grab them and sell their grace to Mine by looking at the fold and rescuing them from Wolfe. There's a chance I'm gonna grab Mine and tell him he was actually my kid. Then, just the possibility of clearing up resentment. … Is there any danger of assassination?"

What have you done, you idiot! And I hear Beno's fantasies cursing.

Until I was singled out for the possibility of fingerprinting, I thought it disgusting to be searched for information by strangers, but I didn't think I was in such a dangerous position. It is also a convincing danger to be trapped in a temple room.

"So that Benno continues to hide the gathering of information from commercial relationships and the existence of mine. I won't let Mine out of the temple during the winter. Even if it moves, it's about between the room and the ritual and the orphanage. Wherever you go, there will always be a gray cleric attached, so let's not have a problem. The problem is after spring."

Benno and Calstead nodded at the word of the chief cleric.

"It's the same over the winter when information and collaborators come together."

"We must hurry and think of measures. Benno, is there a way to keep this thing quiet?

While the chief cleric said so, he showed me. The gaze of all gathers upon me.

Benno shook his head slowly after glancing at me.

"I don't know. If you notice, you're making things bigger, or if you look away a little, you're dying, so if I know, I've already used it."

"What else? Is it still a good idea to keep it in sight?"

And the chief priest and Benno looked at me all together, and sighed. And then I turn my gaze and I have a bitter grin. Just the two of us know something.

"Mine, if you do something, things often go wrong. Make sure you get my permission and Benno's permission before you do anything new in the future."

In the words of the chief cleric I remembered that I had brought winter handiwork for the orphanage. That's right, Benno is a wise eye.

I took a set of handiwork from the orphanage that Fran left me at my feet.

"... Need permission for this too? It's a winter job in an orphanage."

"Speaking of which, you said you'd make something. Let me see."

And I took out the trumpet, and the reversible, and the chestnut, and laid them out on the table. Benno, who was the first to see the real thing, even though the explanation, is also watching as he embarks on it.

"What is this?

"It's a tramp. There are different ways to play, but I'm going to play with 'nervous breakdown' in the orphanage. This way, the well-mixed and painted ones are arranged downwards. If you flip over and get the same number, that card is your own. He who gets the most cards wins."

I'm basically going to play with a nervous breakdown because I can't hold the card on the board with my kid's little hand.

When I taught him how to do it, he was amused and Calstead started doing it. It's a waste of time, so I'm reducing the amount in half from the beginning.

Nervous fracture was the overwhelming victory of a clergyman with good memory.

"There are many other ways to play. If I could have harder paper, it would be easier to play with paper, not plates."

I tried to teach some games like Blackjack, Poker, Heart etc but it feels good for Calstead.

"Even if you have a magic caged fortune card, you don't have one just for entertainment. Above all, it's good to have a number of ways to play with one card. This will probably become fashionable among the nobles."

"You can also remember the numbers. I made it for the orphanage kids to remember the numbers."

In my words the chief cleric nodded, I see, pointing to the board of Reversi.

"Mine, what's this one?

"It's reversi. Alternate stones and change the color of the pinched area so that eventually the higher number wins."

It was the clergyman who expressed interest in Riversi. I dealt with him and started reversing him as I explained. Leave the plate petite and flip it over. When I finished putting all the stones down, it was almost white, my win.

"... I lost?

"Chief Cleric has not swallowed the rules yet, so it's natural. A few more times and I won't be able to win."

I flaunted my shoulders to the clergyman, who looked at the face of the board in a dazed manner.

I could beat the clergyman of the first experience of reversi who doesn't know Theory, but the clergyman is determined to swallow Theory in no time. They let me do everything I could because I know I can only win now.

"Then it's another fight. Win next."

"Chief Cleric, we'll see you next time for a rematch. If the Chief Cleric buys me a reversi, I will compete."

"Great. Let's buy"

Seeing the clergyman who made an immediate decision, Benno shook his shoulder for a moment. He sneaks up under the table and sends me a "well done" sign.

"Cohon! So what's that?

"Uh, I say 'chess'. I made it possible to play on the same board as Reversi. Each pawn has its own way of moving, and it's better to take the king and win."

As I cleaned up the stones of Riversi and explained how to move the chess pawn, Calstead narrowed his eyes and glanced at the plate.

"... this looks like Gevinnen"

"Well, did you have a similar play? So should we modify it to match what we already have?

Boardgames themselves should have been around for quite some time in Reino's world. I guess it's natural that there are similar games here.

"No, what you do between nobles is something that needs magic. It's what takes territory, but makes it fight completely differently. I wouldn't have a particular problem selling this downtown."

"... if nobles don't get their hands on it, I don't even think they can sell it very well."

There are not so many millionaires in Lower Town who can spend money on entertainment. Most families are filled with everyday life. If you keep it set for sale when buying reversi, a different play from Gevinnen may also be popular among twitches and nobles.

After finishing the business story about handiwork in the orphanage, the anti-bugging junction was erased. Chief Cleric and Calstead called each side of the service to buy me Reversi and Trump.

I plan to sell it out in the spring, so it is 4 large silver coins at a premier price. We were originally talking about pricing 5-7 small silver coins, so it's a good place to go.

"Okay, Benno. Thank you for your hard day." The protection of the family of Gedurlich, the goddess of earth. "

"Thank you for a meaningful time. Chief Cleric, Dear Calstead, Dear Mine. Now if you'll excuse me."

Benno crosses his arms in front of his chest, kneeling. After Marc kneels in the back the same way, the two leave the room. I saw the Chief Cleric trying to leave the room with me, too.

"Okay, Chief Cleric, Dear Calstead. Me too..."

"I still need to talk to you. Take this."

Four anti-bugging magic pieces are placed on the table with cotton. Chief Cleric, Calstead, I took each of them in my hand, and Darmuel reached out for the remaining one.