The next day she and Lutz worked together, with Mark-san in tow to help represent them, they visited the woodcutting guild to retrieve a list of specialists they could call on. They wouldn't have been allowed to step a foot inside the fancy gates of the highest-ranked specialists without Mark-san, and their fees started at one large gold coin.

But after visiting several places, she finally struck a deal with a higher mid-tier woodcarver for three small gold coins for her shogi set. While she could've argued for a lower price for the carvings since the characters on the tiles were relatively simple, she'd seen the specialist's carvings, and they were quite skilled. If she wanted him to do her woodblock books, too, then it was worth the future investment to get on his good side.

One of Lutz's brothers—Zeke, she thought—was working there as an apprentice. Myne knew they saw each other, but they didn't acknowledge it outside of a nod of their heads. Maybe it was an apprentice thing? They were both on-the-job, and Lutz had told her how serious apprenticeships were.

She just hoped it wasn't another family-tension thing…. She'd make a note to ask Lutz about it later.

With three small gold coins spent, that left seven more small gold coins and one large. Benno-san had originally offered her one large coin for profit, so if she wanted to stay out of the red, she had seven more small gold coins left to pay for an artist. Her children's books could start off simple with monochromatic colors, so she wouldn't need someone to paint the pictures—for now, at least. But she still needed an artist who could draw the pictures so the carver could make woodblocks out of them.

After two hours of calling on artists, the most "reasonable" ones asked for three large silver coins per page of work. If her books were ten pages each, something that seemed feasible based on the drafts she'd written out, then a single book would cost three small gold coins per book. She could pay that, and still have four small golds to spare, but...she wasn't looking for masterpieces here. Yes, a children's book needed a talented artist, but seeing as children's books were nearly unheard of here, making the costs too expensive from the start would mean that commoners like her family's wouldn't be able to have them for a long while. And she wanted her and her sister—and Lutz and his family—to read them, too.

No, better go with someone cheaper.

They had just visited the third artist's house that day when Myne sighed, leaning against the gate's wall, its surface painted so it was more a mosaic than a wall. Self-promotion at its best.

She let herself slide to the floor with a sigh. "This is why I never wanted to become an artist," she grumbled. "They're all snobs."

Mark-san tilted a delicate eyebrow. "I would suggest refraining from saying that in front of one's house. Besides, your talents lie elsewhere."

"And it's not art," added Lutz, and she shot him a glare. She was known in her old life for her...unique pointillism, thank you very much!

"Oh, what do you know," she muttered. Then her eyes widened. "Actually, do you two know of any amateur artists?"

"Amateur?" Mark-san asked, his thin eyebrows wrinkling. "Surely you would wish for more skillful specialists?"

"Not necessarily," she said. "Not to disparage those who are trained, but a lot of great artists are self-taught. And besides, the pictures I'm thinking of don't have to be that complex."

"I'm afraid I don't know of any," Mark-san said, frowning slightly.

Lutz shrugged. "The only art I have ever seen is what Ralph draws."

"Your brother draws?" Myne asked. "I didn't know that."

"He's not a professional," he clarified. "He just makes funny pictures in the dirt sometimes. Nothing permanent."

"We should continue exploring professional routes, but that could be an option as well," Mark-san reasoned.

"We could…" Thinking, Myne sucked the inside of her lip. "Well, there's no harm in asking either way. Lutz, if you could let Ralph borrow your slate, do you think you could ask him to draw something for me?"

"I guess," Lutz said, frowning slightly as he scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure if he'll do it, though. He hasn't drawn a lot since his apprenticeship."

"Tell him I'll pay one large copper for it."

Lutz caught the look in her eye, and grinned. "You are tricky."

As soon as Lutz had gotten home, Zeke had asked what Lutz had been doing at his master's store, but he managed to brush him off saying it was "apprentice business." Zeke looked like he'd push him more, but one good thing about having three brothers was that distractions were easy to come by. No more than a minute of badgering had passed before Zasha had charged in, something about how he'd get the last helping of dinner because he'd helped Mom sweep the floors earlier that day.

Amidst the noise, Lutz and Ralph could talk quietly.

"I need to talk to you," Luts whispered to him.

"Yeah?" Ralph said. Keeping an eye on his other siblings, Lutz read aloud to him a copy of the first page of Myne's story.

"Think you can draw something for that?"

But Ralph was frowning, rolling his eyes. "C'mon, Lutz, I don't have the time for silly—"

"She'll pay one large copper per page."

" One large copper?! " gaped Ralph. They glanced at their family; Mom was busy cooking by the fire while Dad looked half-asleep at the table, but their brothers had instantly stopped jostling, and bounded over.

"One copper, what?" asked Zeke.

"What's that you got, Lutz?" asked Zasha. The little boy jumped in front of him, and when he stepped back, Zeke snatched the paper from his hand.

"What's that say?" the boy was backing up, squinting at the writing, when Ralph stepped from behind him and snatched the paper back, handing it to Lutz.

"It's for a drawing Myne wants done," Lutz said irritably, holding it close to his chest away from his brother's grubby hands.

"Wait, one large for a drawing ?"

"Just for a dumb drawing? I'll do that!" cried Zeke.

"So can I!" protested Zasha. "Just give me somethin' to draw with! I'll do it twice as good!"

But Ralph's calloused hand boxed them both over the ears, and Lutz was glad he was standing back as they howled. "Knock it off! She asked me ."

Zasha, the smaller of the two, scurried away, but Zeke glowered at his brother. "Fine, just try getting Mom and Dad to agree."

"Agree to what?"

Right on time.

Lutz held in a breath as his mom, drawn by the ruckus and talk of money, loomed over the both of them. Zeke chuckled as he slunk away. Lutz glared at him, but Ralph managed to stand up straight, looking their mother in the eyes.

"Lutz was just telling me that Myne will pay one large copper —"

"Per drawing," Lutz added.

"Yeah, per drawing! Just to doodle some stuff for her."

"What'd she need drawings for?" his mom asked.

"It's for something she's making," Lutz said. Benno-san had warned them about talking too much, even to their families.

Mom gave a worried frown, her hands on her hips. "I'm not sure about this… Myne's a nice girl, Lutz, but Ralph shouldn't get caught up in all this, too. He has a proper job already."

"It wouldn't be a distraction," argued Ralph. "I'd only work in my free time, and I can still help around the house. Besides, we could use the extra money. And—and I draw in my free time, anyways. At least now I'd get paid for it."

If Myne likes the art , Lutz thought.

Mom tutted, shaking her head. Lutz glanced over to where his dad sat at the table. He still looked half-asleep, his arms crossed and his head resting on his chest. To all the world, he seemed disinterested, but Lutz knew he was listening. It was something in his shoulders. Too pinched to be asleep. But he didn't say anything.

Finally, his mom sighed. "Fine. Draw your pictures, but only in your free time. Don't want your head caught up in clouds, either. If you let this interfere with your work, you'll have me to reckon with."

The next day, Lutz had brought Myne the slate after his work day was done. Lutz had told Ralph enough of the project for him to understand the pictures needed to be silhouettes, which could be inked over.

They were better than she expected. The silhouettes' outlines were well-defined enough that someone could easily tell what they were, and the emotions were clear. She'd want to make some placement edits, but those were simple fixes.

"Hey, that looks like the girl from Mom's story," Tuuli said, peeking over her shoulder.

"Shh!" Myne put a finger to her lips, but at Tuuli's confused expression from the gesture, she whispered instead, "It's what I've been working on. It'll be a gift for Mom."

" Ahhh . Is it going to be in one of your books?"

"Mmhm." Myne's lips curved into a smile. "Ralph's the one who drew the pictures."

Lutz glanced at her from across the table. " Myne… "

But she ignored him, continuing, "What do you think of them, Tuuli?"

"They're much better than what I can do," she said, still soaking in the images. "I thought it was his pictures. He draws them for me sometimes; they're always really good."

Ooooh, she knew his artwork just by looking, did she? Myne grinned. "So you like them a lot, huh?"

"Myne!" protested Lutz.

"Yeah, I—" She stopped, straightening to look at Myne through narrowed eyes, a small frown on her face. "Why do you ask?"

Myne giggled. "Oh, nothing. I'll be sure to pass on your compliments."

"Myne!" both Lutz and Tuuli chimed at once.

Myne's Current Account:

(S) Bronze Coin: 11

(M) Bronze Coin: 5

(L) Bronze Coin: 2

(S) Silver Coin: 4

(L) Silver Coin: 1

(S) Gold Coin: 20

(L) Gold Coin: 4

Total: 60,142,610 Lyons