Ingo is a character who appears in the story as a carpenter foreman operating a workshop in the city of Ehrenfest. He is recognized as one of the so-called Gutenbergs, a group of artisans who work closely with the protagonist to bring her innovative ideas to life, most notably the printing press. His journey begins when he is introduced to the main character, then known as Myne, through another carpenter foreman who works with the merchant Benno. At that time, he is portrayed as a young and recently independent workshop owner, which puts him in a challenging position within the Carpentry Guild. Typically, a foreman would be around forty or fifty years old, so his relative youth is a distinct disadvantage when seeking commissions, making him eager and desperate for any job he can secure. When he first appears, he has bright blue eyes, ocher-colored hair, and is described as having a scraggly beard while wearing a towel on his head at their initial meeting.

Ingo’s personality is defined by a sense of professional pride mixed with the pragmatism of a struggling craftsman. He is serious about his work and can become bewildered and even furious when given confusing instructions. This frustration reaches a point where he insists on meeting the person behind the orders directly, rather than relying on explanations from the young apprentice Lutz. He believes that if someone possesses the knowledge to improve a piece of machinery, a face-to-face meeting is necessary. This willingness to take risks, by demanding a meeting with someone who is technically a noble, demonstrates his dedication to his craft and his desperation to secure his workshop’s future. Upon meeting the protagonist, now known as Rozemyne, he is reassured to learn that he will remain her exclusive carpenter and appreciates her apology for the trouble caused by her initial lack of knowledge about woodworking and guild customs.

His primary motivation is the survival and prosperity of his newly established workshop. Early on, he is desperate for any job, looking at the small Myne as a potential rich child who could provide much-needed income. As he becomes more involved in the project to build and improve the printing press, his motivation shifts towards successfully completing this challenging and unusual task, which could cement his workshop's reputation and financial stability. This deep investment in his own business ultimately influences his major life decision later in the story. When faced with the possibility of having to leave Ehrenfest to continue working for Rozemyne, Ingo chooses to remain in the city. Because of the immense effort he put into building his workshop from a struggling startup to a successful establishment, he decides to stay behind rather than follow his patron to a new land.

In the narrative, Ingo’s role is that of a key craftsman who turns conceptual designs into physical reality. He is responsible for creating the boards used for games like reversi and playing cards, but his most significant task is building the frame for the printing press. As development continues, he takes on a central role in the group of Gutenbergs. During meetings to improve the press, he finds himself struggling to keep up with Rozemyne’s rapid-fire ideas but is impressed by the abilities of the metalworkers Johann and Zack, who can follow her pace. In these collaborative sessions, Ingo takes on the role of a teacher or senior figure, helping to guide decisions when the others choose designs based on personal preference rather than practical reasons. His position is not always straightforward, however. When an order for furniture regarding a monastery in Hasse is processed through the Carpentry Guild rather than directly to him, it causes problems for his workshop and leads to him not being evaluated as an exclusive artisan for Rozemyne, highlighting the bureaucratic difficulties he faces.

Ingo’s key relationships are with his patron, Rozemyne, and his fellow craftsmen. His initial connection is a purely transactional one, but it develops into a more collaborative partnership as he directly discusses mechanical improvements with her. He works alongside the merchant Benno and the apprentice Lutz, who often act as intermediaries. His professional respect grows for the metalworker Johann and the blueprint specialist Zack, whose technical skills he values enough to delegate the creation of schematics to Zack. As a craftsman, Ingo’s notable ability lies in his carpentry skills, particularly his capacity to construct complex items like the printing press frame based on verbal descriptions and rudimentary ideas. While he may not have the same ability to visualize futuristic concepts as Rozemyne or the technical drawing skills of Zack, his practical experience as a foreman allows him to ground the project in reality and lead the manufacturing process. His development sees him transform from a desperate, young workshop owner taking any job to a respected member of an elite group of artisans, whose success is tied to the printing press, and ultimately to a successful businessman confident enough to choose his own path forward.