Arc 2: To the Capital
Chapter 7: Behind a Smile
“THANK you very much,” Unen said, as she left the shop with a massive bag stuffed full with a sheaf of parchment paper.
“That’s my line. I always look forward to your business. I’ve been worried about our future prospects because of Komni Paper, you see. Feels like I’m only still in business because people at workplaces like yours continue to use our paper.” Papermaker Sena saw Unen to the door and heaved a loud sigh.
Unen had come on an errand to pick up a large parchment order for the Manuscripts and Transcripts Atelier she was employed by. “Master said that nothing beats the durability and appearance of sheepskin parchment.”
“Well, yeah, if you compare it to your run-of-the-mill ground tree pulp paper. But didn’t you hear that Komni is investing all its resources into paper production? The quality isn’t half-bad and if the price drops, those of us in parchment will have to close our doors.”
Komni Kingdom, located to southeast of Cerná Kingdom, which Yezero belonged to, prospered in the paper manufacturing business. Apparently, the various tree species native to the region were remarkably suited for providing raw materials for paper making. The Komni Paper they had introduced into the market had completely revolutionized the belief that paper could only be made of high-quality animal skins or coarse plants and tree pulp.
Cerná currently depended on importing the Komni Paper from Komni Kingdom, but if Cerná’s own attempts at producing a paper of equal quality succeeded, then Sena’s fear that sheepskin parchment makers would be squeezed out of the market would likely come true. Then again, Komni Kingdom treated the information regarding the Komni Paper and its raw materials regulations as a national secret. They kept a tight, careful rein over everything that had to do with its production, so it wasn’t going to be easy for another country to reproduce the revolutionary paper.
Unen hit the road for home with Sena’s grievances lingering after her. She proceeded with caution, and a good amount of stress, to keep the bottom of her large bag from dragging along the town’s main street.
“I shall carry that for you, fair lady.” With that overly polite line, a hand snatched Unen’s bag from her.
Startled, Unen glanced up to see friendly blue eyes and raven-black hair. It was the mage, Mouru, who had immobilized the violent bandits during her surveying trip last week.
“It looked like a bag was walking itself, so I couldn’t just stand by and watch. I simply need to carry this to your place of work, yes?”
His rude comment about the bag walking itself blew any guilt she felt for receiving his help out the window, and she frankly thanked him instead. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Anyway, isn’t there any work I can do around here? As you know, the trail of the person we’re looking for ends here, so we won’t be able to leave for a while. Just lazing around costs us money for lodging, and I’m going to die of boredom at this rate. I’m really in a pinch here,” Mouru complained, but in a tone that didn’t sound like he was in that much of a pinch. He was the complete opposite of Ori, who only stated what was necessary.
“Isn’t there a ton of work around for you? People have been complaining that the Two-headed Griffin took all the jobs.”
“Enough with that moniker. Who’s the idiot who stuck us with this embarrassing name?” Mouru grumbled underneath a big sigh.
“I heard you erased a gang of bandits from the face of the planet when they attacked a wagon train.”
“Heh. Now that’s an amazing feat. I want whoever made that up to tell me what god I have to serve to use such an awesome move.”
Unen had the urge to ask him what actually happened and what could have inspired someone to exaggerate the events so drastically, but she decided to ask about something else he had said that’d caught her attention.
“Are your spells and skills determined by the god you serve?”
“That’s right. Gods have things they’re good and bad at too. My god governs wind,” he explained, lightly waving his index finger. A gentle breeze swayed Unen’s hair as if it had been induced by that movement.
The voiceless Murmur faintly resounded inside of Unen at the same exact time.
“I unleashed those flames using a fire talisman. Basically, I borrowed another god’s power for a bit.”
Does this Murmur have something to do with magic? But nobody was using magic when I sensed the Murmurs three years ago. Unen dug through her memories of the past while she quietly followed behind Mouru.
“By the way,” his carefree voice relentlessly broke her concentration, “have you finished that map already?”
Unen knew he was referring to the map of the western borderline that Chelveny had attacked her for while she had been taking measurements.
“I have a few more things to add before it’s finished,” she responded.
After the attack last week, Unen’s group had been brought to Baborak Castle in a separate carriage from their assailers, and ordered to report everything that transpired directly to Lord Baborak. Each of their statements was recorded in detail by the castle scribe to be used in discussions with Chelveny. Depending on the situation, the king might take over the responsibility of passing judgment, and if it came to that, they would have to repeat their testimony at the royal capital. Lord Baborak had then formally ordered the border map from Unen and told her it had to be completed perfectly in case Chelveny decided to make things difficult.
Normally, it’d be unthinkable for a fifteen-year-old girl without a patron to receive a job request directly from a lord. Unen was tickled pink every time she recalled Lord Baborak’s direct orders. She was grateful to everything that had given her this chance.
“Speaking of which, what got you into mapmaking?”