Ascendance of a Bookworm

Chapter 126: Preparation for Making Ink (1)
Translator: Forest Zou
When a snowstorm comes, they can be used to kill time while people have to stay in the house. I may get bored if I keep doing handiwork only. Poor people do handiwork to earn some small change. But what do the rich people do in winter?

“No matter what we make, ink is necessary. So I want to make it as soon as possible.”

“You said that you want to make another ink at ink workshop, right?”

“Yes. If the ink is made through a method completely different from that of other workshops, we will not need permission to make it, nor will I be complained by others, right?”

If the method is kept secret, or made it in a workshop with the association’s permission, there is a risk that it may get help up by contract magic. If I make it myself and violate anything, I may be penalized.

Indeed. People do not know the method. Because it’s new to here, you won’t get held up by contract magic, nor do you need anyone’s permission. You can just sneer, even if someone complains. But because you said something extra to the boss of ink workshop, some people have been gathering here for feeler or information…”

“Ah? Did I say anything unnecessary?”

It’s weird, because I just said very few necessary things for explanation. While I tilt my head to the side, I catch a sharp eye of Mr. Benno.

“You did not only tell him do you know how to make the ink he is making, but also said you know other inks. That’s the extra thing you have done!”

“Eh. But the current ink production method is specified to the certain ink type. As the information on new ink type, I think it is necessary for his mental preparedness. For me, if I can succeed, I will sell the method according to the rules of ink association and have it mass-produced. So what I said are not really extra things.”

Mr. Benno frowns and holds his temples. After shaking his head several times as if to say that he cannot understand, he stared at me with his sharp eyes.

“Wait a minute. Do you mean to sell the method to the ink association?”

“Right. So, when Mr. Benno established the botanical paper association, was it pretty hard to get over the vested interests? Even now, Mr. Otto, who is still assisting you, is making efforts with a side job as a soldier, right? You have spread too thin to have enough employees, right? So it’s impossible to establish a new association according to the method of making ink. If anyone wants to do it, then leave all the decision-making to him.”

The Botanical Paper Association was created without my knowing it, and they still have enough hands, so I give up my hope to take part in.

However, I’ve heard from Lutz that in order to establish Botanical Paper Association and workshops in other cities, Mr. Benno asked his relatives for help, and that was a very tough thing to do. Even the Italian restaurant, which is opened to compete against Ilse, has made a foray into a non-specialized business. So Mark complained it was quite difficult. On top of this, I think it is reckless to establish a new ink association.

“… Sometimes I get a headache when I hear your opinion. What do you think of the benefits?”

“But I’m not a merchant, I’m only a priestess apprentice right? If you make a few inks at Maine’s Workshop, it won’t attract too much attention. It’s better for you to spread out the process method to make it in various places and lower the unit price.

Lutz, who is listening to the conversation between Mr. Benno and me, sighs slightly. And the digressed topic returns to the main subject.

“Miss Maine, boss, how about discussing the ink business after the ink is completed? What do you need to make the ink?”

“Well, I think of some things that are likely to be ink, like ‘Chinese ink’, ‘oil-based paint’, ‘Gutenberg ink’, ‘Crayon’. But among them, only ‘Crayon’ is not suitable for engraving. For the time being, I’ll make it later.”

“As always, I cannot understand the explanation of Maine. So, what should I prepare?”

I look down at my tablet.

“Though the pigment is the material for making colors, the most easily obtained pigment for making black is soot. If we use soot as material, any ink will be black. So, let’s collect it.”

To make the Chinese ink, we should mix soot, glue and perfume then knead them. To make oil-based paint, we should knead soot and dry oil. To make initial printing inks of high viscosity, which I call “Gutenberg Ink” for convenience, we should use boiled linseed oil and soot.

“I know that to make ‘Chinese ink’, we can use sesame oil, and soot extracted from rapeseed oil or extracted from pine soot. It’s trial product this time, so I don’t have to be too particular about it. For the time being, we can collect the soot when we clean up the furnace and chimney… We also did this last year, right?”

I recall the day when my mother wore a suite and cleaned the chimney in order to make a charcoal pencil. As a result, Lutz cleaned his house in order to get enough soot.

“Oh, that’s a great job. Besides, your mothers will also be very happy for you. It’s good that we can collect all the materials, right?”

“If that’s the case, there is soot in my house. So come and clean it!”

Mr. Benno takes a shrewd ride. We have to clean the chimneys and furnaces before winter comes. It would be nice if we can collect enough materials.

“Will Mr. Benno pay the fees for cleaning the chimney?”

“Oh, you get more soot easily, right?”

Mr. Benno smiles cunningly as if he is planning something. It’s nice if we could collect enough materials, though I do not know how much we would get.

“What will you do after you get the soot? What else do you need?”

“Collecting soot”, Lutz writes on his tablet and looks at me. I look down at my tablet and confirm that the soot and glue are needed for making ink.

“The next is glue, right? Glue is a powerful paste. It can be taken from the skin and bone marrow of cattle, pigs or other animals. Besides, it is also used to knead the soot for making ink. I also used to stable the covers when I make books.”

“Well, animal skin and bone marrow… It will be the time to prepare for the coming winter soon, if you process pork at orphanage, you we collect enough skin and bone marrow, righ?”

“Hmm … Yeah.”

I remember one day I saw pigs were chopped and hung up in a rural area, I flinched for a moment. But now I’m used to it, I think that I can endure losing my mind or crying. However, I am too weak to chop the meat. So I almost lose my patient.

“Process pork at orphanage? Have you ever done this before?”

Mr. Benno tilts his head. I have tried to imagine that before.

For children of the orphanage, the food they eat is always by God’s grace, and they have even never seen the kalfe potatoes, let alone the experience of pork processing.

“No, never.”

“If so, I will also prepare for the coming winter, so shall we order for the orphanage together?”

“Thank you for your help! Thank you very much.”