Three days had passed since I'd made arrangements with
Over these three days, I'd stayed home, painstakingly making small flower decorations. The Self-Eating's heat had been growing active, swirling around inside my body and making me feel nauseous, so I didn't want to go outside much.
On top of that, being ambushed by the heat in the middle of the night and lying exhausted by morning left my body feeling heavy. Honestly, there was the constant anxiety of not knowing when or where the Self-Eating's heat would strike me down.
During this time, while holed up at home, I'd made two decorations. Including the ones I'd made before, that was only three out of twenty. Mother and Turi had made the rest. The difference in speed was dispiriting.
Mother and Turi continued to compete with each other as they made the small flowers. Turi's speed had improved, and in three days the two of them together had produced twelve decorations. Right now, they were splitting the work on the final one.
"I'm going to go over to Lutz's place. I need to pick up the hairpin parts and pay for them."
"Stay safe."
The two of them, utterly absorbed in their flower-making, barely looked up as they spoke in unison.
I put fifteen medium copper coins into the drawstring pouch that served as my wallet and headed out.
I went down the stairs, exited the building, cut across the square with the well, and climbed the stairs of the building almost directly across from it.
Lutz's home was on the sixth floor, but they'd rented two units and expanded. There were a lot of stairs, making the commute up and down a hassle, but the inside was spacious. Even with four boys, it wasn't all that cramped. Lutz had said that because they were a family of craftsmen with lots of tools, and because they'd expanded to take a workroom, the actual living space wasn't that large, but still.
I knocked and announced myself, and the door creaked open with a groaning sound.
"Hello, Karla. I'm here to pick up the handiwork I requested. Are the boys around?"
"Oh, they've been nervously waiting since morning."
After saying that with a smile, the aunt's expression clouded slightly. She glanced around and lowered her voice.
"...Tell me,
I'd heard from Lutz that things weren't going well with his family, but it sounded even worse than I'd expected.
I was worried about Lutz, but he wouldn't be the one to give in. Even if it meant becoming a live-in apprentice, he was dead set on becoming a merchant.
"You're asking the wrong person, Karla. Lutz is the one who decides what he wants to be, right?"
I tilted my head and deflected, knowing that a third party inserting herself into a parent-child problem would only make things worse. But the aunt seemed displeased at not getting any agreement, and her mouth curved into a frown.
"Well, I suppose so. But girls do what their parents say, while boys don't listen at all. It's so frustrating."
I kept my inner thought to myself: I had no intention of living the way my parents told me to, either.
If Karla didn't finish her complaining, her sons—who had to deal with her daily—wouldn't come out to avoid getting dragged in, and she wouldn't let me inside. Best to offer some vague agreement and move things along. Unlike this aunt, who could chat endlessly by the well with snow piling up around her, I had no interest in standing around making small talk in a freezing entryway.
"You've got four boys, Karla. It must be tough, huh?"
"They don't appreciate any of it. Just the other day..."
Oh no. I had a really bad feeling this was going to go on forever.
I was about to suggest coming back when Lutz's voice carried from deeper inside.
"Hey, Mom. Myne came to pick up the handiwork, right? She needs to get it back before the snow starts, so it's pretty urgent. Plus, Myne's condition can go downhill fast, so let her in already."
"Oh, right. Come on in."
"Sorry for the intrusion."
Lutz, you are a lifesaver. Thank you.
My mom talks forever, sorry about that.
We exchanged that conversation through our eyes, and I was finally able to enter Lutz's home. As expected, it was warmer inside than out.
"Lutz, are your brothers done with the work? Did you finish your calculation practice?"
"Yeah."
"...Myne, are you teaching Lutz calculations?"
Having overheard our conversation, the aunt's voice came from behind with a slightly sharp edge. Completely ignoring the underlying "stop encouraging him" in her tone, I smiled brightly.
"Yep. I help out with calculations at the Gate too."
"Oh, Myne, you help your father. How wonderful. Lutz should follow her example and help his father too."
The girls here generally helped with their parents' work, then married a man their parents introduced and helped with his work. In a rural farming village, that meant helping with farm work and marrying a farmer to become a farmer yourself.
In other words, as a Soldier's daughter, I was expected to settle into some suitable job and play the role of a wife supporting a Soldier. Apparently, being a Soldier's wife was quite difficult because the hours were irregular, and there was a big difference in how well wives adapted depending on whether they had family in the military and understood the work.
To Karla, it probably sounded like Father was having me help at the Gate to prepare me for the future. Unfortunately, I was hurtling full speed toward becoming a merchant's apprentice and had zero intention of becoming a Soldier's wife.
When I stepped inside, Lutz's brothers were each waiting with hairpin parts clutched in their hands. As I approached, all three thrust their pieces toward me at once.
"There, Myne. Take a look."
"Finished these right away."
"Perfect, don't you think?"
"Whoa, whoa! Line up! By age!"
Having sharp hairpin parts thrust at my face was actually quite frightening. I waved my hands in front of my face to dodge.
True to my words, the three lined up swiftly with an audible rustle, and I checked each hairpin part one by one, handing over payment.
No one had cut corners. The smooth, well-crafted pieces drew a natural smile to my face.
"Everyone's turned out better than Lutz's. As expected from professionals. At home too, Turi and Mother are better at this than I am. Hey, boys, could I commission the same thing for Winter Preparations? Payment for that won't be until spring, but the price will be the same."
"Sure, leave it to us."
The brothers accepted with smiles.
With a promise to help with the Winter Preparations, Lutz would be able to focus on his studies.
"Lutz, did you finish the calculations? How did it come out?"
"Six thousand rion, so that's six large copper coins. ...Is that right?"
This time, Lutz's brothers had made fifteen hairpin parts for me. At a fee of four medium copper coins per piece, that came to six large copper coins. The fees alone were a huge profit.
"Yep, absolutely right! Keep up that practice. I'm going to take these home and finish them today, so can I go to
"Got it."
When I got home with the hairpin parts, the last decoration was done. Together with Mother and Turi, I sewed the decorations onto the hairpin parts and finished them up.
"Tomorrow I'll bring these to the shop and collect the rest of the money. You two were so fast that I couldn't keep up with the money I'd earned."
When Benno had first commissioned me, I'd thought completing ten would be a stretch. To think we'd managed twenty was a shock. Mother's determination when faced with cold hard cash, and Turi's speed boost had both exceeded my expectations.
"Hehehe~ I got faster, didn't I?"
"Turi, you're amazing. You'll probably be able to make tons of stuff for Winter Preparations too."
"Yep, I'll work hard and make lots."
I tipped my hat to Turi, who was steadily walking the path to becoming a sewing beauty. There was no way I could match that.
The next day, I headed to Benno's shop with Lutz, carrying the finished hair ornaments. As we walked along the cobblestones, Lutz spoke up.
"Hey, Myne. Is there anything else we could make that might sell?"
"Lutz?"
"Benno told me that fixing the Self-Eating requires money. Once spring comes, selling paper should bring in a decent price, but I was wondering if there was something else too... If you can think of something, I'll definitely make it."
Seeing how genuinely worried he was, I decided to think about new products that could help deal with the Self-Eating.
"Hmm, let's see. Thinking about everything we've sold so far, the big profits come from luxury items aimed at the wealthy."
Only certain layers of society could afford to spend money on everyday goods.
With hair ornaments, once you raised the price of thread and focused on the design, the price point changed completely. Paper, too, was more valuable when it was made from the rare Trombe plant.
So to earn a lot of money, we'd need something that wealthy people would want.
"But I can't really guess what rich people around here want. Whether it's Rinsham, hair ornaments, or paper, everything I've seen around me has been ordinary."
"Your world must have been an incredible place."
Lutz, who knew I had memories separate from Myne's, showed curiosity rather than being creeped out. So when we talked privately, I didn't bother hiding my memories of
Now, with the added nostalgia, I could only describe it as having been an absolutely wonderful place. In Lutz's mind, it had probably become a kind of utopia.
Compared to here, the fact that bookstores and libraries had been commonplace was enough to make it a paradise for me too. If I could, I'd still want to go back.
"Maybe we should look at 'hundred-yen shops' or 'innovative products' for inspiration and think about improving daily necessities? Like improving soap, or making candles fancier? The herb candles from last year were nice, depending on the batch."
"Herb candles?"
Lutz furrowed his brow and tilted his head.
"During last year's Winter Preparations, the candles smelled terrible, so I made candles with herbs stuck to them to cover the smell. Some turned out great, but others created a synergistic effect and smelled even worse. Mother banned me from doing anything unnecessary this year."
The moment I'd mentioned wanting to make herb candles from inside my bed, she'd shut it down immediately and ordered me not to leave bed. I was sure that was more about worrying over the candles than my condition.
"You were up to all sorts of stuff, huh."
"Well... Trial and error is part of any process. Besides, baskets and lace knitting were well received, so I wondered if there was anything useful from 'Okan Art'... though the whole point of 'Okan Art' is that it's not useful."
I muttered that self-correction and let my thoughts drift to the Okan Art I'd experienced in my life as
"Hmm, 'bead accessories' are hopeless without actual beads, I've made pictures with pressed flowers but they're not sellable, and 'tole painting' needs paints I don't have. What can I do?"
"I can't understand a single thing you're saying. So what can you actually make?"
Whatever I wanted to make, just like with papermaking, I'd have to start from scratch making the tools. The moment I realized that, my motivation plummeted entirely.
I had zero motivation for anything that didn't directly connect to the necessities of my own life.
"So, in thinking about new products, I've identified the biggest problem: I can't muster any passion for making tools to create things I don't personally need."
"Get passionate! Do you want to die?!"
Lutz barked the words at me.
"Don't worry, if it's something I need, the passion will come. Like books, for instance—"
"Wait a second! You're the one who said there's no one else who needs them, so they won't sell! Think of something that will sell!"
Lutz was so worked up his eyes were getting misty. I patted him on the shoulder.
"Lutz, calm down a little."
"You're the one getting me riled up!"
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, sorry."
As I was trying to calm Lutz down, a firm hand suddenly grabbed my head from behind.
"Hyah!?"
"What exactly are you two talking about on the open street? People are laughing at you. Were you aiming for that?"
Benno's familiar voice snapped me back to my senses. I looked around and, sure enough, I could hear faint giggling.
My face flushed with embarrassment, and I glared at Benno with a hint of irritation.
"Benno, why are you here?"
"On my way back from inspecting the workshop. What are you two doing?"
"I've finished the hair ornaments, so I'm on my way to deliver them."
"Good. Then let's go."
He hoisted me up effortlessly, and the impatient Benno strode off at once. I could see Lutz scurrying along behind us over Benno's shoulder.
Even after entering the shop, I wasn't set down. Benno carried me straight to the back and deposited me at the usual table.
I sat down in a chair and pulled the hair ornaments from my tote bag one by one, lining them up on the table.
"Combined with the previous delivery, that makes twenty. Please verify them."
"...Good. Now we can start selling hair ornaments too. The next Earthday is a
Since no one in my family was involved in this year's Baptism Ceremony, I'd had no particular interest. I was about to let out a breezy "oh" and move on when I caught an unfamiliar word.
"...Hey, Lutz. What's an Earthday? I've never heard that before."
"Huh!? What do you mean, what—" Earthday is Earthday. Right?"
Lutz couldn't explain either, and deferred to Benno.
Benno let out a sigh and explained.
"Waterday, Sproutday, Fireday, Leaveday, Windday, Fruitday, and Earthday cycle around and around. You know?"
Eh? "You know?" You say that as if I should know. This is the first I'm hearing of this.
Should I just think of them as day-of-the-week names?
"Spring is the season of melting water when sprouts breathe to life. Summer is the season of fire when the sun is closest and leaves grow thick. Autumn is the season of wind when it turns cool and fruit ripens. Winter is the season of earth when life slumbers. Earthday is designated as a day of rest, and shops are closed."
So Earthday was like a Sunday. Got it.
I'd known that days of the week existed because Mother periodically had days off. I just hadn't known their names, since there was no calendar at home, Father's work was irregular, and nobody ever mentioned them.
So the days did have names after all. Mystery solved.
"Huh, so that's what they mean. I knew the name but not what it was."
"The Baptism Ceremony should have come up in conversation. The Baptism Ceremony is held at the start of the season in winter, so the next Earthday is when it falls."
"I see."
There was no garbage collection schedule or calendar here, so as long as working people knew their rest day, daily life wasn't a problem. It wasn't something worth bringing up, so you could get by fine without knowing. Appointments could only be set in terms of "how many days from now," and that was easier for everyone to understand, which was probably why the names weren't used in everyday life. According to Benno's explanation, it had religious ties, and if the Baptism Ceremony would teach me about it whether I liked it or not, it was fine to leave it for now.
"Enough about day names. Let's finish the settlement."
"Fair enough. They don't come up that much normally."
Benno settled up the hair ornament payment, and I put the medium copper coins I owed Turi and Mother into my wallet and tucked it back into the tote bag. The rest of the money, combined with Benno's contribution, went into savings.
"Thank you for everything today."
Once the business was done, I tried to leave quickly so as not to interfere with his work, but Benno grabbed my arm firmly.
"Did you come up with any product ideas? I heard you two talking about that on the street."
I didn't know how much of our conversation he'd overheard, but the eager look in his eyes and his tone made it clear that Benno was trying to get Lutz to make something new.
...Well, needing money was undeniable.
Over the past few days, the Self-Eating's heat had been growing increasingly active. Suppressing it was consuming more and more of my time and energy. Honestly, I wasn't sure my body would hold out until the money accumulated.
There was no need to voice such grim thoughts bluntly, so I gave a small shrug and went along with what Benno was suggesting.
"Benno, what do you think would sell for a high price? Personally, if we want serious profit, I think it'd be rare items or high-quality consumables targeted at the wealthy."
"Yeah, I'd say so."
Benno nodded with a slight, rueful smile.
"Rare items become worthless once everyone has one, but consumables get repurchased after use, so you can keep earning indefinitely. When I think about it that way, Rinsham would be quite the earner, wouldn't it?"
"Indeed."
Benno had full rights to Rinsham, so his smile was thoroughly relaxed. On top of that, high-quality Rinsham was apparently ready and about to start selling. A product like Rinsham could keep earning for a long time.
"In my gut, I'd say beauty products. Women's passion for beauty is incredible, after all."
Cosmetics were expensive. Even at high prices, plenty of women would seek out what suited them and spare no expense to look even a little more beautiful. Especially among the Nobility and the wealthy, if something worked, they'd happily pay.
Benno's eyes lit up and he leaned forward, apparently sharing my thinking.
"Like what?"
"Um... what I'd personally want is a high-quality, fragrant soap. Also, since we use them all through winter, how about adding color and scent to candles to make them fancier? The herb candles from last year were nice in some cases. And, though I don't need one myself yet, toner or something similar seems like it would sell well."
Counting off ideas that came to mind, I came up with several possible new products.
Lutz's eyes lit up too as he gazed at me.
"Hey, Myne. Do you know how to make all of them?"
"Hmm, I have a rough idea. Like with papermaking, gathering the materials and tools would be difficult, and I'd need to experiment with precise ratios... but I think I could manage..."
"Good. Go for it."
Benno pointed at me with his index finger and grinned. It was the face of a merchant calculating profits in his head.
Counting chickens before they hatch, I muttered internally, pressing my fingers to my temples.
"I mean, it's easy to say 'go for it,' Benno, but I won't be able to leave the house until spring. Hiyah—?!"
Honestly, I'd been wondering whether this Self-Eating would even last until spring. Wasn't it dangerous? The instant that thought crossed my mind, it was like the lid I'd been holding down burst open. The Self-Eating's heat erupted outward in a rush.
A column of fire seemed to erupt inside my body with such force that I couldn't contain it as usual. While I floundered in panic, the heat spread through my entire body.
"Myne!"
Lutz noticed the change and shot to his feet, his face draining of color.
I couldn't properly tense my muscles. My body swayed.
I knew the heat was overwhelming me, that I was about to tumble off the chair, but I couldn't stop myself. I could only watch through my vision as my own body fell. Even when I hit the floor with a heavy thud, the burning heat throughout my body overpowered everything and I felt no pain. Before my wide-open eyes, I saw the thick carpet and two pairs of rushing feet.
"Myne, are you okay?!"
Lutz shook my body, then pulled his hands back as if startled by the heat, then began shaking me again.
Benno spun toward the door. Not bothering to ring the bell to summon
"Bad situation! Mark, send an errand boy to the old man right now!"
"Hey! You said you were going to make books, right? You're not giving up yet, are you!? Myne! Hang in there..."
"Mark... prepare... the... hurry..."
The voices of the two of them grew fainter and fainter.
I could no longer understand what they were saying, and then my consciousness cut out with a snap.
I keeled over while thinking about new products.
Lutz and Benno are the ones who have it rough, not the collapsed Myne.
Next time, I interact with Frieda.