Honorary Titles

Honorary titles are titles that denote respect for the individual, but do not come with any tangible political power or hierarchical position.

These titles do not correspond to any particular hierarchical status. They can be used as a term of respect for any noble, as applicable.

Gutenburg is the title Myne awarded to those who contributed to the success of printing in Ehrenfest. The title is in honor of the real-world Johannes Gutenberg, who popularized the printing press in Europe.

See also Character List: Gutenberg.

Myne originally awards the title to Johann after he finishes the first set of metal types for her prototype printing machine, calling him "the second coming of Gutenberg". Not wanting Lutz or Benno to feel left out, she quickly revises her statement to say that all of them are members of a "big Gutenberg family". Much to the dismay of everyone involved, the name sticks.

Over time, the title expands to comprise not only those who worked on the printing press, but those who sold books, developed ink, created illustrations, made paper, and helped manage the printing workshops.

Over time the title became more synonymous with being a highly skilled craftsperson with the favour of Myne or later Rozemyne, since it spread first from just printing technology to printing related technologies and then progressed into other fields as well, like handpumps and carrier suspension.

Benno - merchant who helps Myne make paper and also sells Myne's other products.

Mark - Benno's primary assistant with the Gilberta Company business, he helps Myne with gettting the equipment together to make paper.

Lutz - Helps Myne make the paper and is Myne's primary assistant in making the paper and joins Gilberta Company.

Gil - Is in charge of the workshop for both making paper and printing in the temple and is one of Myne's attendants.

Wilma - Another of Myne's attendants and does the artwork for the books she prints.

Johann - A skilled smith who makes letters for Rozemyne's printing press and also contributes to making the printing press.

Zack - Makes the schematics for Rozemyne's ideas and also is Johann's rival for smith

Ingo - Is a carpenter who helps make the original printing press (which is all wooden) as well as playing cards and reversi

Heidi - Is a very skilled inventor, part of the Ink guild, and helps Myne make the coloured ink work on the new paper which she has made. She is as obsessed with making new ink as Myne is with books, and they get on quite well.

Josef - Heidi's husband, running the ink factory while she invents and, like Lutz for Myne, keeping her on track.

Spoiler from Part 4 Volume 5

Renaissance is a title intended to be granted to the winner or winners of the dyeing competition made to revive nearly died out dyeing techniques in Ehrenfest.

In spring after her first term at the Royal Academy Rozemyne decided together with the Gilberta Company to hold a competition among the dyeing workshops of Ehrenfest City to see who can produce the best results with the recently introduced tie-dying and rozemyne dyeing techniques and reward the winner with the title of Gutenberg, despite dyeing fabric having nothing to do with printing anymore. This was done to facilitate the spread of the technology throughout the city.

A bit later Rozemyne rethinks the issue and decides to give an entirely new title to the competition winner instead of making them a Gutenberg.

During a meeting with Elvira and the Gilberta Company she shouted "renaissance" out and the other people present were quick to adopt it, despite Rozemyne immediately thinking it a bad idea.

At the tea-party where the competitor's contribution were presented to the nobles, each example was only marked with a number to asure that the judgement would be based solely on the product itself to quash and chance of the results being shifted by prior business relationships or nepotism. Several of the competitors earned exclusive business from nobles, but Lady Rozemyne herself didn't choose any for herself just yet, leaving the workshops to keep competing for her approval and the title.

Originally the title was made up by Sylvester to help justify Rozemyne's adoption into the archducal family, but due to her actions there are many people who wholeheartedly agree with the title. The biggest and most devoted group is of course the orphans she saved, but also members of the nobility have started to truly believe in her saintly qualities, first and foremost Hartmut.

Rozemyne herself rejects the title whenever she can. She insists that her action were purely selfish and thus she does not deserve the title, which stands in stark contrasts to her eagerness for praise when acomplishing many other tasks like memorizing prayers or coming up with a new invention.


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