“Don’t drag us back down now that things are finally looking up. Their method for stopping paint from changing colors is a business secret. You know what we would do to anyone who tried stealing our ink production processes, right?”
“Ngh... Sorry,” she replied, scooting up in bed. It seemed that she now understood how bad the situation had been as well.
“You really weren’t thinking, were you?”
“I’ve been thinking so hard lately that it feels like my head is gonna burst.”
“I’m not talking about research here, alright?” I poked Heidi’s puffed-out cheek, and she blinked her gray eyes several times in surprise.
“Huh? What else but research should I be thinking about right now? I need to solve this fast, while she’s still funding us.” Heidi looked at me as if she couldn’t believe that I didn’t understand that, and honestly I didn’t feel like arguing. I had heard that Bierce and the Gilberta Company had come to an agreement about the research funding; it wasn’t anything for Heidi to worry about. Really, what I needed to think about here was how to keep the patron from being weirded out by Heidi and leaving.
“Heidi, Josef—I’ve figured out how to make fixing agents!” Lady Myne exclaimed, walking into the workshop with a beaming smile that afternoon. She and Heidi squealed with excitement and immediately started talking about how to make the fixing agent used for dyeing cloth.
“Woooah! This is amazing! So amazing!”
Thanks to the fixing agent Lady Myne told us about and taught us to make, we stopped the colored ink from fading when used. It was done.
...And the burden was finally off of my shoulders.
Lady Myne didn’t need to visit our workshop anymore now that the ink was done, and Heidi could spend less time immersed in research. To be honest, having a patron visit our workshop basically every day was exhausting. I had to keep my eyes on Heidi at all times to make sure she didn’t do anything rude, and Lady Myne’s presence made it hard for all the other workers to go about doing their jobs as they normally would.
I sighed in relief, but Heidi slumped over in disappointment. “Aah, we sure finished that in no time...”
“Now that the ink’s done, she’s not gonna be paying for the research anymore. Playtime’s over,” I said, poking her cheek. Please, don’t let her or anyone else cause any more problems, I begged on the inside.
It was a simple wish, but not one the gods were willing to grant: Lady Myne smiled and said, “I don’t mind paying a bit more if you want to continue your research.”
“Lady Myne, you’re the best!”
“Please, you’re spoiling her!” I yelled. Who’s gonna keep an eye on her while she does her research?! I don’t wanna live like this for the rest of my life!
“Heidi, Josef—as far as I am concerned, you are both now Gutenbergs,” Lady Myne said with a smile while pointing at Heidi, who was spinning in place with her arms spread out like an idiot.
“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.”
It looked like I was the only one who wasn’t following her. The little boy accompanying Lady Myne had murmured something about there being “another one,” and Heidi was jumping for joy.
“We’re Gutenbergs, Josef! She has work for us! She’ll fund us! She’ll let me do research! Yahoooo!”
“I’m sure that knowing why the ink changes color will prove useful in the future, so please, keep up the good work.”
“You can count on us!” Heidi declared proudly.
...Ah, of course. I get it. I’ve been trying not to think about it since she’s our patron, but this little girl is a weirdo just like Heidi!
That said, while them getting along so well wasn’t good for my heart, Lady Myne already had her own personal workshop and the backing of the Gilberta Company despite her young age; she was on another level from Heidi and her singular obsession with research.
“However, your highest priority should be making the ink. If you don’t finish an order before the due date, I’ll cut off your funding without a second thought.”
“Eek!”
“You’re the kind of person who loses sight of their surroundings when they get absorbed in their research. I need to make it clear what your priorities should be, and lay out a punishment for when you fail to stay on track,” she said to Heidi, looking confident and authoritative.
...Yep, that’s a businesswoman for you. She looks young, but she’s got a proper backbone.
“Birds of a feather sure know how to clip each other’s wings, huh? Looks like you know exactly how to keep her under control,” the apprentice from the Gilberta Company chuckled, saying exactly what I was thinking.
Right, birds of a feather! I nearly burst out laughing myself, but Lady Myne glared at me with a pout, so I hurriedly promised to watch over Heidi’s research to get her back in a good mood.
And rest assured, Heidi was in a good mood that night.
“Isn’t it all grand, Josef? She’s going to continue being my patron, and everything’s just going so well.”
“Heidi, seriously...?” I couldn’t believe she was acting like all the problems she had caused this morning just didn’t exist. But before I could say anything, Heidi beamed a smile as dazzling as the summer sun.
“Now you’re definitely gonna get your beruf certification.”
“Huh?”
“That’s what our workshop needs now more than ever, right? We finished the new colored ink and secured research funding from a patron, so if we force the issue with the Ink Guild—which owes us for dumping
