Chapter Text
My name is Motosu Urano—or at least, it was. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved books, and my raison d’être was to become a librarian.
When I finally achieved that dream, however, tragedy struck: I found myself buried under a mountain of books.
Oh gods, if I could be given a second chance at life, please reincarnate me in a world full of books. I made one last mental plea as my life faded away.
I woke up to the feeling of something soft beneath me, my body enveloped in warmth. The ceiling was unfamiliar, and a quick glance around revealed that I was in an extravagant-looking room, lying on a bed.
"What is this place?"
As if summoned by my words, the door gently opened, and an unfamiliar woman with unusual green hair tied up walked in. Her clothes looked nothing like what a modern Japanese woman would wear—she resembled a European far more than an Asian.
"Hoe voel je je, Myne? Het spijt me dat ik je zo lang heb verlaten. Ik hoop dat je je niet eenzaam voelde."
I didn’t understand a word she was saying, but then a sudden headache overtook me, causing me to wince. The woman rushed to my side, worry etched on her face, and gently took me into her arms.
"Myne, is something wrong?"
This time, I understood her. Not only that, but memories from this body’s owner flooded my mind—I was her, and she was me. Not wanting to worry my mother, I smiled. "I’m doing well, Mom. Thank you for worrying."
She checked my condition first, and once she saw that I was fine, she sighed in relief. "I was worried since you were left alone for so long."
If I trusted the memories now in my head, I was a five-year-old girl, the daughter of a knight and a seamstress. This body was frail compared to others, and my parents doted on me a lot.
"It’s okay, Mom. I was just sleeping," I reassured her, deciding I needed to gather my thoughts first. "If possible, I’d like to read a little. Do we have any books?"
Mom looked hesitant, but then she patted my head. "All the books in our estate are written in a rather complex language. Since you only recently started learning to read, you might struggle a bit. But don’t worry—your mother should be back soon to teach you more. For now, it looks like your fever has returned, so you should sleep a little longer."
She replaced the damp cloth on my forehead with a fresh, cool one before helping me lie back down. Sitting at the edge of the bed, she softly sang a lullaby—one the body I now inhabited seemed to remember well. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim me.
Even as I drifted off, my thoughts wandered to the memories I now shared with this girl, Myne. She lived in a world entirely different from Earth, with customs and culture that felt unfamiliar.
The woman taking care of me was named Effa, a renowned craftswoman. Myne also had an older sister, Tuuli, who had turned six last spring and would have her baptism in two seasons.
Children in this world were baptized at the age of seven and officially welcomed into society at that time. Until then, they remained under their parents’ care and were not yet recognized as full citizens, meaning their actions were restricted.
Finally, the last member of Myne’s family was...
"I’m back. How is she feeling?"
I woke to an unfamiliar yet strangely familiar voice. My eyes slowly opened to see Mom smiling at the newcomer. "She developed a slight fever, but she should be fine now," Mom Effa explained. "I didn’t expect you home this early, though."
"Of course, when I heard my daughter wasn’t feeling well, I rushed my work so I could see her as soon as possible." The woman approached and placed her cool hand on my forehead, soothing me.
"As I thought, you truly are a caring mother." Mom Effa chuckled. "Isn’t that right, Lady Elvira?"
The other woman smiled as she removed her hand from my forehead after confirming my condition. "I brought some snacks. Let’s eat together."
After they helped me change out of my pajamas, they prepared a makeshift tea party, inviting my older sister as well. Tuuli had inherited Mom Effa’s lime-green hair, while Mother Elvira’s hair was a darker shade of green. Meanwhile, my own hair was dark blue, and my irises were golden—a striking and unusual combination that further proved this was not the Earth I once knew.
For the next few days, I kept a low profile, trying to understand my situation. As Mom Effa had said, the books were written in an older version of the language used by the people of this world, and with my limited knowledge of their literature, I struggled a bit. However, with Mother Elvira's help, I got the hang of things faster.
Now then...
I started noting a few unusual things. First, Myne was smaller and more frail than other children her age. Mom Effa had given birth to her five years ago, but since medical advancements in this world were still lacking, a few complications arose, leaving me physically weak. However, I didn't think Myne had died—it felt more like our two consciousnesses had merged, blending our memories from both her life here and my previous life as Urano.
The second, and by far the most glaring difference, was that there were only women—everywhere.
Our family lived on the border between the noble quarter and the wealthy merchant district. Mother Elvira was a noble-born knight serving the archduchess, while Mom Effa was the daughter of a merchant. While unbaptized noble children were usually kept out of public view, Tuuli and I were allowed to visit the commoner’s district when accompanied by our parents, mostly due to our half heritage. Whenever we walked the streets, I would glance around and notice something strange—there were no men. Not a single one.
"Mom, are all the men away at this time of year?" I asked one day, my curiosity finally reaching its peak.
She stopped walking and tilted her head in confusion. "What is a 'men,' Myne? Is that another term you learned from your books?" From the look in her eyes, I could tell she had no idea what I meant.
"You know, men. The usual companions—the fathers of children."
Her expression grew even more puzzled. She sat me down on a bench and checked my temperature. "What are you saying, Myne? Your other parent is Lady Elvira. I don’t know what you're talking about."
It was only later that I realized the truth—everyone born in this country was female. No, more than that. There was only one gender in this secluded land, cut off from the outside world.
According to Mother Elvira’s teachings, Yurgensmidth was created by the Goddess of Light after she had wandered the void for millennia. To accompany her, she created three other goddesses in her image—Geduldh, the Goddess of Earth; Flutrane, the Goddess of Water; and Schutzaria, the Goddess of Wind—whom she called her daughters.
Her children, in turn, created the humans of this country, granting them life, land, water, wind—everything they needed to flourish.
Because there was only one gender—among both humans and animals—the concepts of "male" and "female" were completely foreign to the people here. Any two women could form a couple and have children together. Either partner could become pregnant when they wished, though they typically alternated, with one woman giving birth first and the other waiting a few years before carrying their next daughter. For example, Tuuli was born from Mother Elvira, and one year later, Mom Effa gave birth to me.
There were so many unusual things about this world, and my curiosity burned brighter than ever. I immersed myself in the books within our estate, eager to learn more. In the evenings, when Mother Elvira returned home, we would gather as a family and share stories about our day. I had never been particularly fond of social interactions in my previous life, but Myne cherished these moments—so I embraced them as well.
Winter arrived, and once again, I found myself accompanying Mom Effa to the merchant district. Tuuli was staying home to study today, as she wanted to become a merchant when she grew up. While there was a social hierarchy in this world, the barriers between classes were not as rigid as in the medieval societies of Earth.
Although wars existed, there were fewer casualties and less atrocities being committed, mostly due to women favoring indirect conflicts and harboring long-term grudges rather than engaging in direct combat. The absence of men was a double-edged sword, but the pros seemed to outweigh the cons.
Since most duchies were at peace, our lives proceeded calmly. While Mother Elvira always taught me to be on guard against everyone, that felt like too much of a chore.
"Excuse us."
Mom and I arrived at the Gilberta Company, the shop where most of her craftwork was sold. She was quite skilled with her hands, and merchants constantly competed to secure exclusive deals with her.
As soon as she heard of our arrival, a young woman with braided honey-blonde hair welcomed us. "Welcome, Effa, Myne. We've been expecting you."
I recognized her as Corinna, the wife of the shop's owner. Madam Milda was usually occupied with paperwork, so she left most of the guest interactions to her partner.
We discussed new craftwork, along with several other topics. I quickly grew bored, however, and started looking around.
Even though I was still unbaptized, I was allowed to interact with people as long as I didn’t cause trouble. The Gilberta Company primarily sold fashion-related products and clothing. As I browsed the store, my eyes landed on a large tome resting inside a glass display case. I couldn’t help but wonder what its contents were.
"Are you interested in books, little girl?"
I turned toward the unfamiliar voice and saw a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-20s. Since she seemed friendly, I immediately perked up. "Yes, I love books! My dream is to gather lots of them and become a librarian."
She tilted her head. "Librarian?"
It seemed that technology in this world was still rudimentary, making books incredibly expensive to produce. Forget extra copies—just owning a single book was a luxury in itself. Our family was quite well-off, thanks to Mother Elvira's close friendship with the archduchess, so we had a few books in our estate.
"It’s a job where my duty is to take care of books and help customers find what suits their tastes," I explained. Since my body was so small, I probably looked like an overly excited child.
The woman chuckled. "I see. It’s good to have dreams." She ran a finger along the glass display. "This book was sold to the shop by a noble whose house went bankrupt. Even in times of peace, humans seem to find enjoyment in making others suffer."
She went on to explain that the current archduchess, Lady Georgine, had a strained relationship with her mother, Lady Veronica. Rather than confronting each other directly, they used underhanded tactics, harassing each other’s supporters instead.
"That’s terrible."
I guess no matter the world, people always found ways to stir up conflict. While the nobles of the fallen house weren’t killed, they still suffered a humiliating downfall. Some had to sell their family heirlooms to relocate to the merchant district in hopes of a better life, while others resorted to selling their bodies to wealthier women in exchange for support.
Yes, prostitution existed here, even in an all-female society. I supposed that was only natural when a single gender was the norm.
"I do hope the situation stabilizes soon," the young woman sighed. "Ehrenfest is currently considered one of the poorest duchies in the country due to several poor political decisions in the past. While Lady Georgine is a capable woman with great potential, her ongoing struggle with her mother is severely restricting her ability to govern."
"I see…" I muttered, glancing at the book once more.
Until now, I had only thought of books as sources of enjoyment and knowledge. But learning about this one’s tragic backstory opened my eyes to the harsh realities of this world.
"Mother, are you finished with today's work?"
I turned toward the young voice that had spoken. A small girl around my age stood nearby—or at least, I assumed she was, since everyone towered over my tiny frame. She had orange-honey brown hair styled into girlish pigtails that rested over her shoulders.
"Philine, are you done with your studies?"
"Yes, Mother. The other students helped me understand the parts I struggled with the most." She then glanced at me and smiled. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Myne. My name is Philine."
"N-Nice to meet you… I guess."
I wasn’t sure what was happening, but the woman explained that my two mothers were quite well-known in town. As the daughter of the current knight commander and the most influential craftswoman in Ehrenfest, many people recognized me. That realization made me feel a bit awkward. My parents were truly amazing—I would have to live up to their reputation and make sure not to tarnish their name.
Easier said than done.
It was only later that I learned Philine’s family had been among the nobles who went bankrupt. And it was thanks to this book, which the Gilberta family had purchased, that they were able to live a slightly less disgraceful life.
Philine and I quickly formed a close friendship since we were around the same age. I learned that she was one year younger than me, but my confidence as an older sister crumbled whenever we stood side by side.
Since my dream of becoming a librarian seemed like a delusion, I was advised to study basic knowledge at the Gilberta Company. Mother Elvira also wanted me to get used to noble manners, but that could only be done at home when she was available to teach me.
"Making more books, huh?" Philine pondered my desire to spread knowledge. "Laynobles usually earn their living by transcribing books for wealthier nobles. Since parchment is very expensive and we have to handle all kinds of manual labor, books tend to be extremely rare."
She was young but quite smart. If possible, I wanted to help her live a better life. Even though her mother had sold their family heirloom, they still had debts to repay and were struggling in several areas. I wasn’t a saint, but I couldn’t ignore people suffering right in front of me. How could I enjoy reading when the children next door were starving?
"Philine, would you like to help me achieve my dream of filling the world with books?" I finally asked when we were given a short break. Our teacher had stepped out of the "classroom"—a spare room at the back of the Gilberta Company where merchants' daughters studied in hopes of bringing future wealth to the shop—to greet a customer. "I want to create a cheaper alternative to parchment. If you help me, I’ll give you half the profits."
"P-please wait, Lady Myne. T-that’s too much to take in at once."
But I was determined. If something didn’t exist, then you just had to create it—at least, that’s what my mother used to say when I was still Urano.
I grabbed Philine’s hands in mine. They were bigger than mine, but I didn’t let that stop me. "You’re the first friend I’ve made, and I want to do this together with you. I don’t know yet how things will turn out, but I want us to work toward a better future."
A small blush appeared on her face, and she remained quiet for a moment. But soon, a smile returned. "You really are a handful, Lady Myne." A small chuckle escaped her lips. "Understood. I’ll help you bring your ideas to life."
"Yahoo!" I cheered, pulling her into a hug, making her freeze. Since she had been raised as a noble until two seasons ago, she probably wasn’t used to physical affection. But that didn’t matter—her adorable reaction only made me want to spoil her more.
Even though I had made my grand declaration, we weren’t able to start anything right away—winters here were simply too cold. It wasn’t until spring arrived that Philine and I could begin planning our new paper. We met with Madam Milda to explain our idea, and a gleam appeared in her eyes. She was a professional who could sense profits from miles away. While she had her doubts about two unbaptized children succeeding, she still offered to purchase our product once we completed it.
With her words backing us, I found my resolve and met up with Philine after class. Thankfully, we only had lessons twice a week, and they lasted just one to two hours, giving us plenty of free time.
"Alright, let's get started!" I clapped my hands together, filled with determination as we met in a makeshift workspace behind the Gilberta Company’s store. There was a free area where children usually played. "Paper made from plant fibers should be possible. We just need to find the right materials and a good method to process them."
Philine furrowed her brows in thought. "You mentioned paper made from plants, right? What kind of plants?"
I nodded. "Yes, mostly softwood trees like mulberry, but also things like cotton and hemp. We need something with flexible, fibrous pulp that can be pressed into thin sheets."
She hummed. "I don't recognize these names you mentioned, but we do have similar plants with parts that can be used to make cloth. Perhaps we can ask merchants if they have scraps or leftover fibers to test the waters first?"
"That’s a great idea!" I beamed. "We should also check if there are any wild plants with fibrous stems. If we can get our hands on something usable, we’ll just have to figure out how to break it down into pulp and form it into sheets."
The problem, of course, was that neither of us had any experience making paper from scratch. While I had studied the concept as Urano, theory and practice were two different things.
With our plan in mind, we set out to gather materials. We convinced the Gilberta Company’s workers to save fabric scraps for us and even visited the market, asking merchants if they had any plant fibers they were willing to part with. Most looked at us strangely, but a few humored us. I had some pocket money saved up, so I made sure to compensate them for the resources. Eventually, we managed to collect a pile of discarded cloth, old rags, and some hemp fibers.
Next came the experimentation.
We cut the fabric into tiny pieces and soaked them in water overnight. The next day, we boiled them in a pot behind the shop, trying to break the fibers down. The other children looked at us curiously, but no one dared disturb us. Eventually, it became an unspoken rule that our experiment corner—marked by makeshift chairs, pots, and tools—was off-limits.
Unfortunately, our first batch turned into a slimy, unusable mess.
"This is harder than I thought," Philine sighed, poking the mushy remains with a stick.
"Trial and error!" I declared optimistically. "We just need to refine the process!" Just because we failed once didn’t mean it was the end of the world. I never expected things to go smoothly from the start anyway.
It took multiple failed attempts, but eventually, we managed to create a pulp-like substance. We spread the fibers onto a fine mesh screen, pressed out the excess water, and left them to dry.
Days later, we carefully peeled off the first sheet of our handmade paper. It was rough, uneven, and riddled with imperfections, but it was still paper.
"We did it!" I cheered, hugging my friend as we watched the paper dry in the sun. It was still a prototype, and we would need to refine it using proper wood scraps later.
Philine gasped in delight. "It's real." She tried writing on it and noted that it could indeed serve as an alternative to the overly expensive parchment.
A warmth spread through my chest. We had spent so much time together working on this—laughing at our mistakes, supporting each other through failures, and growing closer. Philine had become more than just a friend; she was a true partner in this endeavor.
Determined to improve, we refined our process—adjusting the mixture, pressing the sheets more evenly, and drying them under better conditions. After many trials, we finally produced several sheets of passable-quality paper using various plant fibers.
It was time to present our work to Madam Milda.
After securing a meeting, Philine and I stepped into her office to present our products. She picked up a sheet and examined it closely. "You really made this?" she asked, an impressed glint in her eyes.
"Yes!" I said, brimming with excitement. "It’s not perfect yet, but with more work, we can make it even better!"
She ran her fingers over the surface, her merchant instincts no doubt already calculating potential profits. "It’s rough, but it has potential. If you two refine the technique and improve production, this could become quite valuable."
Philine and I exchanged hopeful looks.
Milda set the paper down and smirked. "Alright, I’ll make a deal with you. The Gilberta Company will buy the production method and sell it while giving you royalties."
I shook my head. "We will sign a contract where I have the exclusive right to produce paper, and Philine has the exclusive right to sell it. Royalties are good and all, but they mean nothing if we move out of the shop."
The woman smirked. "I like your spirit, young girl. You will surely become a renowned merchant in the future." She chuckled before having her assistant prepare a magic contract. Once the three of us confirmed the details, we signed our names at the bottom, then…
"Do I really have to?" I grimaced at the sight of the needle meant to pierce our fingers so we could pour some blood into the contract.
Philine chuckled awkwardly as she helped me, and the three of us finalized our deal. The contract burst into golden flames, which my friend explained signified its delivery to the Goddess of Light, ensuring that both parties upheld their promises. She also mentioned that these contracts were extremely expensive and that merchants only used them for highly profitable products.
At least we had accomplished one good thing. After leaving the office, I bounced with joy and hugged the younger girl. "We did it, Philine. I couldn't have done it without your help."
She smiled back. By this point, she was slowly getting used to my affection. "I’m glad that you are one step closer to your dream, Lady Myne." She also took the opportunity to thank me for helping her gain confidence in her own abilities.
And so, our journey as aspiring papermakers officially began.
Just you wait, libraries. I’ll make sure to fill you all with books using this new paper-making process!