Chapter 9

“One more thing?”

“Yes. The soon-to-be ruler of the Holy Federation has requested you to design the cover of the sacred text for their first consecration mass.”

“……”

For a moment, Reinhardt was left speechless. He had connections with the current Pope, but none at all with the person who would become the next Pope. He couldn’t understand why the request was made to him.

“Is it too difficult?”

“No, not at all. If possible, it’s something I’d very much like to try.”

It was only natural. Creating the sacred text to be used at the new Pope’s first mass was an honor.

Especially since, once someone became Pope by divine calling, their reign usually lasted from ten to even a hundred years. Influenced by divinity, they lived far longer than ordinary humans.

So, this was a rare task that might happen only once in a century. For an artist, there could be no greater honor. However, it was customary for the art department of the temple to create such works.

“Is there a reason you’re specifically requesting me?”

“The next Pope has said that the temple should follow the flow of the times. The newly created sacred text will use printing methods.”

“……!”

It was a surprising statement. Until now, the sacred texts of the Great Temple had always followed the old methods. Usually, work would begin even before the Pope changed.

But now, the next Pope had declared that he would break with history and tradition.

The priest smiled gently.

“You’re surprised. Of course, the sacred text to be held by the next Pope will be handmade. However, a thousand copies of the same edition will be printed and distributed across the continent.”

The priest went on to explain that the book would be produced in two ways.

First, the sacred text would be completed as a printed edition. The spots for illustrations would be decided and left blank. Then, a handwritten version would be made by copying the printed edition.

The illustrations would also be produced in two ways: those for the Pope’s sacred text would be entirely handmade and colored using traditional methods. For the printed edition, the colors would be reduced and simplified for lithography.

It was a far bigger deal than Reinhardt had imagined. This meant his illustrations would spread throughout the continent.

Of course, the sacred text distributed by the Holy Federation would be centered around the Imperial Family and the nobles. But there was no royal or noble who would ignore a book given by the Pope of the Holy Federation. Each country would print and distribute the same edition and illustrations within their borders.

It was a spine-chillingly huge task. It was an honor and would bring immense fame. There was probably no artist who would refuse.

“I’ll do it.”

Reinhardt suppressed his excitement and accepted both commissions.

…Yet, unexpectedly, a surprising obstacle was hindering his work. And bizarrely, it was nothing other than a mere candy shop.

* * *

The ‘Lanelli Candy Workshop’ opened on Pervellum Street at the end of last year, just as winter began. It was located in the spot where a traditional knot workshop had stood for a long time.

The elderly hostess of the knot workshop had long worried about her craft dying out, and eventually passed away. There were some successors, but their skills were lacking. Moreover, a property dispute broke out among her children, and the workshop building was put up for sale.

The workshop hostess’s wish to leave a display space during her lifetime was forgotten. Her works ended up in the Imperial Art Academy, where a new exhibition room was set up.

Her children expected the building to sell quickly. It was well-built, clean, and the location wasn’t bad.

However, the building didn’t sell as easily as they thought. The problem was its location, right near the entrance of Workshop Street. Even though it was part of Workshop Street, the entrance area was busy with carriages and several shops, making it quite crowded.

When it was a knot workshop, this wasn’t much of an issue. The work wasn’t particularly sensitive to noise, and classes were often held for ordinary people who wanted to learn. Naturally, there was a steady stream of visitors.

But most artists preferred quiet, so they avoided the crowded entrance. They disliked buildings on the main street and tended to choose spaces deep inside the alleys.

Those who were extremely sensitive sometimes commissioned the Mage Tower to install soundproofing. Reinhardt himself had two layers of soundproofing installed, which says it all.

The building’s awkwardly large size was another problem. When it was a knot workshop, the first floor was used for display and sales, and the second floor for classes and research. For most artists, the space was simply too big.

If they wanted to rent it out as a shop or office, the internal staircase connecting the two floors was an issue. It was too large for a single tenant, and separating the first and second floors would require renovation costs.

For these reasons, the building sat unused for nearly three years. Then, one day, construction suddenly began, and before anyone knew it, a candy workshop had opened.

The candy workshop looked out of place, like pastel paint splashed onto a gothic oil painting.

The lovely lace curtains and the lively sign written in sky-blue playful lettering stood out. In a street lined with dignified brick walls and elegant curved iron bars, it was simply too flashy.

People whispered endlessly before the workshop even opened.

“A candy shop here? Doesn’t it feel out of place?”

“Exactly. It would suit Krüzel Street below much better.”

“What is the owner thinking?”

Pervellum Street was certainly the Empire’s representative workshop alley, but it was located in a quiet area far north from the main street where most shops gathered. Unless someone was lost or seeking a very special item, few bothered to visit.

Usually, those seeking special items were high nobles or the wealthy, and they typically hired agents rather than visiting themselves.

For ordinary goods, the main street was a better choice. Krüzel Street, in particular, was packed with eateries and cafes, so a candy shop would logically belong there—it was a strange decision.

But the mystery was soon solved.

“They used to run their business on Krüzel Street.”

“Oh, really? Then why did they move?”

“Well, I’m not sure…”

People whispered in hushed tones. Some blushed and waved their hands, embarrassed, as they hurried away.

And for good reason—the special dessert sold only at Lanelli Candy Workshop was no ordinary treat. It was an adult dessert, ‘Rose Sweets’.

Among the workshops, many catered to nobles or the wealthy. Thus, the artisans were often quite familiar with the luxurious hobbies of those classes.

There were two main reasons why Lanelli Candy Workshop was practically driven out of Krüzel Street.

The first was the sale of products containing aphrodisiac ingredients in a public street—although the Lanelli Workshop completely denied this. They insisted the ingredients were not aphrodisiacs and that the products were not openly sold but strictly available by reservation.

The second reason was frequent loud drinking and smoke, which disturbed the surroundings and caused noise pollution.

The people of Workshop Street shrugged and quickly lost interest.

“They’ll leave on their own soon enough.”

“Yeah, right? There’s no way business will work here.”

But soon, everyone realized their judgment was wrong. Business was not just good—it was thriving.

Lanelli Candy Workshop wasn’t just a place that made candy. From large cakes for formal dinners to bite-sized desserts like macarons, they produced all kinds of sweets.

It was later discovered that most of these were delivered and sold to cafes on Krüzel Street. Most of the people in Workshop Street were middle-aged men and didn’t know this, but in fact, it was a very famous shop.

Ladies who heard the name of the workshop, or lovers, were startled and jumped in surprise.