“You should just teach us how to make it.”
“Yeah, we’ll make it. You shouldn’t do it yourself, Sister Myne.”
If we were going to make it in the Myne Workshop, then I wasn’t allowed to do any work. I pursed my lips at being the only one left out, but no one backed me up.
I had Benno look up the magic contracts through the Merchant’s Guild and search for materials, setting the stage for us to start making a fixing agent. When the time finally came, both Lutz and Gil were bouncing with excitement over the new challenge. I handed them both boards with detailed instructions on them, and that was that. My job was done.
I didn’t like being left out, so after harspiel practice with Rosina, I told her about the colored ink in order to vent my lonely frustration.
“And now Lutz and Gil are making the fixing agent without me as we speak. Do you not think that is just cruel?”
But Rosina was less sympathetic for my plight and more just surprised that I didn’t know about fixing agents. “Oh, you did not know about fixing agents, Sister Myne?” she asked, her eyes wide. “They are essential for drawing. Without them, no colored art could be done at all, really.”
In a shocking twist, the temple also had someone who knew about fixing agents. Apparently they were essential for art. But since Rosina had only ever used finished fixing agents, she didn’t know how to make them.
“...Do you by chance not know how to use fixing agents either, Sister Myne?”
“I do not. May I ask you to teach me?” Mom only knew how to use it for colored dye. I would need to know how to use it for art when making the colored picture books.
Rosina gave a refined giggle at the immediateness of my request. “You must put the fixing agent on the paper ahead of time and allow it to dry. That way, there will be no discoloration even when layering different colors of paint. Sister Myne, you seem to know a shocking amount about everything, but I see there are some simple things that escape your grasp.”
“I have simply never taken the time to draw with paint or ink before.”
“Indeed,” Rosina murmured before clapping her hands together and smiling. “In that case, would it not be wise to have Wilma teach you how to draw once you have finished the fixing agent and colored ink? Art is an important cornerstone for any woman of culture to learn.”
“I shall think about it.” I gave an ambiguous reply, but already had a clear response on the inside. No thanks, I don’t want to lose any more free time than I have already.
That said, some part of my heart told me that it might be smart for me to learn it now, since in two years’ time I would be a noble’s adopted daughter whether I liked it or not.
Using the fixing agent production process I had learned from Mom and applying it as taught by Rosina resulted in us being able to layer multiple colors without them becoming black or discolored. The colored ink was complete.
Challenging Wax Stencils
We had finished something that at least resembled proper colored ink. It required us to use a fixing agent or else the ink would turn black when we layered the colors on top of paper, and they would still turn black when mixed together on the palette, but still—progress was progress.
“Aah, we sure finished that in no time...” Heidi murmured, sounding like a kid who had just had their toy taken away from them. Personally, I was just relieved to have finished the colored ink, but Heidi seemed disappointed that we hadn’t figured out what made the colors change like that.
Josef poked her cheek, an exasperated look on his face. “Now that the ink’s done, she’s not gonna be paying for the research anymore. Playtime’s over.”
“Well, considering how much of a success this was, I don’t mind paying a bit more if you want to continue your research.”
My offer made Heidi beam a full-faced grin, and Josef spun around to look at me in complete disbelief.
“I think further research will be important if we want to make more vibrant colors and just generally increase the number of colors at our disposal. I had prioritized just finishing some form of color ink due to time constraints, but I don’t mind you continuing your research.” And since I didn’t feel like investigating why the colors changed myself, I was more than glad to let someone else do the job for me.
“Lady Myne, you’re the best!”
“Please, you’re spoiling her!”
“Heidi, Josef—as far as I am concerned, you are both now Gutenbergs.” I grinned, having found more Gutenberg allies to propel my dreams forward. Ink was essential to the development of printing and now I had it.
Lutz cradled his head, mumbling something about there being more of them now, while Heidi and Josef just blinked in confusion.
“Guten... huh? We’re a what?”
“Gutenberg. The name of a heroic—nay, godlike—being whose legendary accomplishments changed the history of books. As it stands, Johann is the Gutenberg of metal letter types, Benno is the Gutenberg of plant paper, and Lutz is the Gutenberg of selling books. There’s also Ingo who helped make the printing press, and now you two are the Gutenbergs of making ink. It is only natural that I would fund the Gutenbergs who are making my dreams of reading a reality.” I proudly puffed out my chest as I gave my explanation, but Josef’s baffled expression remained.
Heidi, on the other hand, was jumping for joy. “We’re Gutenbergs, Josef! She has work for us! She’ll fund us! She’ll let me do research! Yahoooo!”
We had already made colored ink; I had no objections
