Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 134: Preparation of the Children's Edition of the Scripture

No matter what people said, at least the inside pages of the black-and-white picture book for the babies were done. I felt satisfied, holding hands with Lutz as we walked home on the main road where the smell of autumn had grown stronger.

"We can't make gelatin until we're ready for the winter, so I want to continue making the children's edition of the Scripture."

I wanted to finish this picture book of Scripture during the autumn of reading, so I told Lutz. He pondered for a moment.

"Do you want to make prints again? Cutting paper seems easier. Even you can do it."

Lutz was right. It wasn't hard to cut thick paper into templates, and I could do it because it didn't take much effort.

"If the text in picture books is also cut to make templates, there would be no need to write mirrored letters. The number of words in picture books is also limited, so there should be time to finish…But it looks like we'll have to order some more penknives. Although the initial investment is large, it is necessary."

Because it was specially made, the price of the penknife was on the high side, but if we wanted to make prints, we still had to prepare tools like engraving knives, so this was a necessary expense after all.

"We just saved for the initial investment anyway."

I was very eager to develop movable type printing, but printing required a lot of movable type, and making them was a very delicate job. If I wanted to make movable type in metal, the cost would be even greater than now. I would have to wait a little longer before I got started on movable type printing.

"Alas, Mr. Gutenberg is still out of reach."

"Who is that?"

"He is a great man who has accomplished an innovation, and in my mind he is god and my goal… but now I can only improve gradually within my own power. Lutz, do you think there is anything that needs to be improved?"

"… do you have anything I can use to press the paper on when I print? Paper slides easily, and if I press it with my hand, I get ink on my fingers. You know it's hard to wash off, it bothers me."

Lutz was an apprentice merchant who would receive nobles, and it would be very disgraceful for him to do so with hands as dirty as a craftsman's. Although I could get the grey-robed priests to do the printing, Lutz was obsessed with the idea that what Maine wanted must be made by him. Then I had to think of a way not to get his hands dirty.

"Well, it will be a lot better if we can make the frame for the stencil."

"Stencil? What's that again?"

"There are many types of printing, one of which is stencil. Stencil requires wood frames to press the paper, so if you have a wood frame, you won't get your hands dirty. Um, it looks something like this."

I took out my writing board, stopped where I was, and began to draw. Lutz was taken aback. He quickly pulled me to the side of the road and scolded me: "Hey, Maine! At least get to the side first!"

"We can install a wooden frame that can be lifted and lowered on a worktable the size of which can hold paper. The frame and the worktable are hinged, and a net is placed inside the frame. When printing, lower the frame to fix the paper and apply pigment through the net."

"I see… if the material is wood and net, is there any way to make it?"

With the exception of wax paper and steel plates, the other tools were not so complicated that even Lutz might be able to make them. The only tool we couldn't make ourselves was the wooden frame with a net.

"Lutz, can we place an order with the Artisan whom we had commissioned to make the bamboo curtains? Are the bamboo curtains for the plant paper workshop ready?"

"You'll have to ask master and Mr. Mark about that."

We happened to be near the Gilberta Company, so Lutz and I decided to go around. By the time we walked into the Company, everyone's work seemed to have come to an end. As I looked around the lobby, I saw that everyone's movements were quick but frantic.

"Ah, Maine, Lutz. If you need any help, go straight to the office."

If we discuss things in the lobby, we would get in the way. Mark let us into the office without asking Benno. Benno, who was checking the accounts, sighed and accepted the meeting.

"Mr. Benno, may I take some of Mr. Mark's time tomorrow? I would like to ask him to accompany me to the artisan workshop and order something from the artisan who made the bamboo curtains before. Is that artisan free now?"

When I had finished, Benno turned over the ledger and nodded.

"He has delivered the goods as promised. He ought to be free, as long as there are no other orders. What are you going to order this time?"

"A wooden frame with a net."

At my answer, Benno turned to me with a quizzical look.

"What net? What is it for?"

"With a net, Lutz doesn't get his hands dirty when he paints."

Benno looked puzzled and turned to Lutz for his explanation. I had just explained this to Lutz, but he shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

"Oh, never mind. I'll tell Mark. When are you going?"

"I have to go to the temple to practice fespiel. Is that OK in the afternoon?"

"The afternoon is convenient for us, too. Come tomorrow, then."

The next afternoon, Lutz and I went to the Gilberta Company after having lunch, and then accompanied by Mark, moved to the artisan workshop on Craftsman Avenue.

"… it's you again."

When the artisan came out to meet us, he frowned and showed a very impatient expression. I couldn't help but think how he could give that look to his guests.

"You won't order bamboo curtains again, will you? I had a hard time getting the last batch done. Don't give me another job with such a tight deadline."

It seemed that the work of making bamboo curtains had worn him out. I looked back and forth at the haggard artisan and gently smiling Mark, then quickly shook my head.

"Oh, no. This time I want to ask you to make a wooden frame."

"A wooden frame? You should go to the carpenter."

The artisan's eyes turned to the door and waved his hand at us as if trying to drive us out.

"No, it's not just a wooden frame, I want to put a net on it… the net can be made of spun silk, can you make it? The mesh doesn't have to be very small, because the net is just used to hold the paper down so it doesn't slide or wrinkle."

I took out the board and drew the frame I wanted the artisan to make. He squinted and stared at the picture for a long time, then sighed helplessly.

"… it is possible, but troublesome."

"Can I count on you?"

"It takes time and effort, but you never hesitate to pay. Since it's a job other than making bamboo curtains, all right."

So we ordered a wooden frame with a net and, as usual, asked the artisan to send it to the Gilberta Company when it was finished. Then at the end, Mark signed the contract.

"Mr Mark, I'd like to go somewhere else. Can we go round to the forge? I want to order some more penknives and talk to John about the rollers."

If we wanted to make templates out of thick paper, we needed more penknives. In addition to myself and Lutz, I also wanted to prepare one for Wilma. Also, I wanted rollers that could spread the pigment evenly. But the rollers I used to know were made of rubber and sponge. Was there anything to replace them? Maybe cloth was one of the alternatives, but I didn't know if it worked.

We went to the forge and ordered two more penknives. John accepted the commission with a big smile and seemed happy to have a job that would allow him to put his skills to good use.

"I also want to order some rollers…"

I drew a diagram of the roller for John. I also described to him what rubber and sponge were, but he just looked puzzled.

"… paint by rolling a cylinder? Another strange thing."

"I hope I won't feel bumps when I use the roller. I think it's possible to put a cloth around the surface of the cylinder to get the pigments on, and I'll leave it to John to decide which cloth to use."

Although I wished to use a cloth that was slightly stretchy and easily stained with pigments, the rollers should work without it. After listening to my instructions, John nodded several times.

"If that's all it is, it shouldn't be hard to make. When it's done, shall I take it to the Gilberta Company as usual?"

"Yes, please."

When we left the forge, Lutz and I said goodbye to Mark and started toward home.

"The rest of the problem is the illustration. If we make a template out of thick paper and then print it, it will look like shadow puppetry. Now with the penknife, some fine lines can be preserved, but what should I do if I want Wilma to change her style a little?"

"If you give her examples, she would know better how to draw. To be honest, no one can understand your vague explanations."

Indeed, if it was something Wilma had not seen, however I tried to explain it, it would be difficult for her to understand at once.

"Hmm… I don't know if it's going to work, but I'll try to draw an example first."

"Huh? Do you want to do it yourself? Is it really all right?"

"I will refer to Wilma's picture, don't worry. You are really disrespectful!"

Lutz's face twitched uneasily as he stared at me. I had only drew chibi picture once, how low is his evaluation of my skills?

… Don't look down on me. Urano got a B in art almost every time.

I said goodbye to Lutz in Well Square, who had looked worried until the end, and quickly returned home. As soon as I got home, I drew the outline of the goddess by referring to Wilma's print, and then painted black and white with soot pencil in imitation of the style of shadow puppetry. Although the pattern is simple, it seems clearer than the print.

"Um, it seems pretty good."

But that's what I felt in the Japanese aesthetic, I didn't know if people here would accept that. The widely acclaimed drawings here were of a delicate and realistic style, so such drawings as shadow puppetry might be too simple to be accepted.