Benno/Relationships

# Family

### Corinna

Corinna is Benno’s youngest sister. After their father’s death, she was mostly raised by her brother. Benno has a good relationship with his sister and taught her how to effectively manage the business. He also protected her from the Guildmaster's attempts to marry her to one of his sons.

### Otto

Otto is Corinna's husband and Benno’s brother-in-law. He used to be a traveling merchant who did business with Benno, and eventually, they formed a close friendship. After Otto married Corinna, Benno allowed him to move in with his sister. Later, Benno entrusted Otto with management of the Gilberta Company, when he left to found the new Plantin Company.

Although the two are on good terms, Otto’s easygoing personality and joking attitude can occasionally get on Benno’s nerves. He becomes frustrated when Otto says things carelessly without considering his surroundings. For example, when Otto jokingly called Myne Benno's “Goddess of Water,” others interpreted it to mean that they had an illicit affair.

Benno put Otto through grueling training to educate and prepare him to interact with members of the nobility as a merchant in the Gilberta Company.

### Liz

Liz is Benno's late fiancée, who died from the Devouring. Benno loved her deeply and still remembers the painful last days of her life. His regret at not being able to ease her suffering influences his protective attitude toward Myne, who suffers from the same illness.

### Unnamed Younger Sister

Benno has an unnamed younger sister. She married a man in another city to escape Gustav’s attempts to set up a marriage between her and his son. Benno used his connections with his sister to expand rinsham workshops in different locations .

### Renate

Renate is Benno's niece. Benno plans to train her as a merchant, as he did with his sister, Corinna.

# Business

Benno has a number of business partners and employees.

### Mark

Mark is a leherl at Benno's store. Benno relies on him as a right-hand man. Mark helps Benno with all his business enterprises and helps to train apprentice merchants. They have worked together since Benno took over the Gilberta Company, and Mark has stood by his side through all the challenges that followed. They trust each other and work with each other to support the store. Benno relies on Mark a lot, but recognizes Mark's work and is proud of him.

### Lutz

Lutz was introduced to Benno by Myne. Benno values him for his ability to learn quickly, his work ethic and skill, and his indispensable connection to Myne. When Lutz ran away from home because his parents didn’t approve of him working as a merchant, Benno offered adopt him and train him as the heir to the Gilberta Company; although Lutz eventually reconciled with his family, Benno still views Lutz as his successor and protégé. He also sees his younger self in Lutz, as they both worked hard to pursue the their dreams.

Benno also advises Lutz on personal matters, especially related to Myne and Rozemyne. When Lutz is dejected about their growing separation, he helps to cheer him up and encourage him.

### Myne

To Benno, Myne is both a constant source of headaches and a path to overwhelming wealth and success. After meeting her, he immediately notices her gift for inventing new marketable products. Benno leverages her ideas to launch a range of new business ventures, including plant paper, ink, printing, and cuisine. Although he suspects Myne is not who she seems, he does not pry.

When Myne decided to become a merchant, Benno mentored her and taught her negotiating tricks to earn as much money as possible. He also used those same tricks on her to short-change her on several occasions, only letting her know about her mistakes after the fact.

While they have a businesslike relationship, Benno has a soft spot for Myne. He worries about her when she collapses, protects her from other merchants by concealing her information, and scolds her when her lack of common sense gets her in trouble. It is stated that Benno sees Myne as family .

### Leon

Leon is a leherl at the Gilberta Company whom Benno sent to train under Myne's attendant Fran in the temple

### Gustav

Benno harbors a strong grudge against the Guildmaster, Gustav. After the death of Benno’s father, Gustav made several efforts to join their families by marriage, which Benno interpreted as a tactless and thinly veiled attempts to take over the Gilberta Company. While Gustav has generally good intentions, Benno sees him as a meddler and nuisance. The Guildmaster has been known to aggravate the relationship through bureaucracy.

### Freida

Freida, the Guildmaster's granddaughter, is Benno’s business rival. She later becomes his business associate in the restaurant industry. He respects her business sense.

### Damian

Damian is Gustav's grandson, sent to the Plantin Company as a lehange. Benno sends him to Illgner, since he has experience dealing with nobles.

### Ehrenfest’s Foremen

Benno has relations and exclusivity contracts with the foremen of various workshops. These foremen introduce Myne to Johann and Ingo.

### Bierce

Bierce is the former foreman of an ink workshop and becomes the new Ink Guildmaster. He asks Benno to sell his ink, to which Benno reluctantly agrees on Myne's insistence. Bierce is the foreman that Benno took Myne to visit, suggesting that Benno has good relations enough with him to trust him to meet Myne safely.

### Tuuli

Tuuli is a leherl in the Gilberta Company and Myne's sister.

# Nobles

Benno has a few noble contacts who either work with him or are clients of his.

### Rozemyne

Rozemyne is both a business associate, as the head of the Rozemyne Workshop, and a client, as a member of the nobility. As the adopted daughter of the Aub, she carries enormous influence and spearheads the Printing and Publishing Industry. Benno and Rozemyne have a good business relationship, and Benno relies on her for funding and support, as well as her ability to communicate with nobles to lessen his workload.

### Ferdinand

Benno's relationship with Ferdinand, Rozemyne's guardian, is primarily business-oriented. Benno sees Ferdinand as a little young and inexperienced in the beginning of their relationship, and uses that to his advantage to protect the profits of the Rozemyne Workshop.

Later, they bond over the troubles caused by Rozemyne and Sylvester. The two occasionally commiserate with each other non-verbally and find solidarity in their shared exasperation.

### Elvira

Elvira is Benno’s client as well as his taskmaster. She ordered Benno to help create a printing industry in her home giebe of Haldenzel. Benno considers her scary and unreasonable.

### Sylvester

Benno's relationship with Sylvester is outwardly respectful and professional. Internally, Benno considers him one of the most unreasonable nobles around, due to his tendency to make immediate demands at the expense of everyone around him. He sees Sylvester, like Rozemyne, as nothing but work.

< Benno

# References

1. ↑  Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 4 Volume 2. Chapter 19: The Summoned Merchants
2. ↑  Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 1 Volume 3. Side Story 4: Mark — The Master and I
3. ↑  Ascendance of a Bookworm. Part 1 Volume 3. Chapter 21: Benno's Lecture