Chapter 39

(Quite long)

For about two days, nothing particularly eventful happened.

I was exasperated by Hagg demanding tonkatsu every night... and Narnia popping into the room every night to ask if I had any spare change. If you don’t have money, don’t even think about it.

Hagg seemed to understand this and stopped being as generous as on the first day.

If I could get the materials, I wouldn’t mind making it, but the amount a child can prepare is not enough.

I could treat him, but that wouldn’t be good for Narnia.

Hagg and Yararai exchanged insults every time they met, but it never escalated to a physical fight.

It was a busy but peaceful time.

————

That day, we were told that the paper and charcoal prototypes were finally ready, so Chelina and I canceled all our afternoon meetings and moved out. The location was just outside the city walls.

It was along the river that flows east to west in the south of the city. We went south from the east gate along the city wall until we reached the river. More precisely, there was a place right by the river where they received rafts, hauled them up, and dried the wood. I could see large logs piled up from a distance, but our destination was a few kilometers further east along the river.

Just think of it as a place that’s a moderate distance from the city.

“Here?”

I got off the carriage and was surprised to see a row of rather large sheds.

“This is a property owned by the Veriello Trading Company. Officially, it’s a fish processing plant.”

“Fish processing plant...”

I narrowed my eyes and walked around the sheds. There was no fish smell here, and there wasn’t even a single sardine being dried.

...There are no sardines in the river anyway.

What was more concerning was that the sheds were built with dried bricks and thick timber, making them unusually sturdy, and there were four people with sharp eyes and armed with spears and swords. Their equipment was different from the city guards and the occasional patrolling soldiers, so they were likely private guards. No one would hire such strong men to guard fish.

“So, what’s the real purpose?”

“Of course, it’s the Veriello Trading Company’s... no, my laboratory.”

I see.

Melvin, who usually scolds Chelina for spilling the company’s secrets, was now giving me a reproachful look.

Staring at me won’t change anything...

“Since we couldn’t build the charcoal kiln inside, we immediately covered it with a fence. We had the materials, after all. Besides, anyone approaching this scenic spot would be noticed right away.”

He must have chosen this location after careful consideration.

“Then, Dauro, let’s hear your report.”

We entered the largest shed, where a slightly plump middle-aged craftsman named Dauro was waiting.

“Miss, this way, please.”

After being led to a chair at the back and sitting down, Dauro immediately placed a large sheet of paper on the table.

“It’s about the same size as parchment. But it’s nice that it’s perfectly square.”

“Yeah. It took some effort to get the hang of the papermaking process and to use clear water, but we managed to make all the tools on the first day.”

“So, it’s possible to mass-produce the tools?”

“Sure, as many as you want.”

“I see. But is this really paper...”

Chelina was pinching and pulling the paper, which was slightly larger than the table.

“There’s still plenty of room for improvement, especially with the type of plant used. This one is made from river wood that we bought and processed before it dried, so it’s relatively inexpensive.”

“How much for this?”

“We can break even if we sell one sheet for 10,000 yen, including the cost of the tools.”

“...What?”

Chelina slowly raised her head.

“The total cost of making all the tools was less than 1,000,000 yen. We made this as practice and have already produced 100 sheets. However, we only have about 10 completed due to a lack of space for drying. These are cut to A4 and A3 sizes.”

Dauro took out sheets of washi paper cut to A4 and A3 sizes.

They were still thick and uneven, but the fact that they could produce this much in just a few days was impressive. I’m sure they could produce thin washi paper quickly as well.

“The larger size is close to the standard size for letters made of parchment.”

“Right. If we sell, the A3 size and the uncut maximum size would be best.”

As a Japanese person, I’m drawn to A4.

“Cutting it to A3 and selling it in bundles would be best. Someone, please bring a pen and ink.”

Before I could look around, Melvin quickly placed a quill and ink on the paper on the table. By the way, the ink bottle is made of pottery.

“...The pen catches a bit, but the ink flows really well.”

“Chelina, the ink should dry quickly. Try overlapping another sheet.”

“This is... amazing. With parchment, it takes a considerable amount of time for the ink to dry.”

I knew this from watching Chelina struggle with parchment, so I mentioned it, and it seems to have been well-received.

“The size is uniform, the writing is smooth, and the price is significantly lower. Dauro, what do you think the final price for an A4 sheet will be?”

“10 yen per sheet would be sufficient. With further research, we might be able to sell it for 1 yen per sheet within a year.”

Chelina was surprised, but Melvin was even more shocked.

“Compared to parchment, it’s much cheaper, higher quality, and less bulky... This will definitely sell.”

“Miss, there’s one thing you’re mistaken about.”

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s a bit of a problem if this is called high quality. If you give me another 7 days, I’ll show you something that will make you laugh at this paper. I’ve just started to get the hang of papermaking.”

Dauro smiled slyly.

“That’s great. Let’s aim to commercialize it in 10 days. At that time, let’s set the price at 300 yen per sheet. It’s still much cheaper than parchment.”

“I understand. I want to increase the number of papermakers. What should we do?”

“Papermaking involves flattening the pulpy material on a screen. If we keep the process of making the material secret, increasing the number of papermakers shouldn’t be a problem.”

“I see. Start by asking the apprentices in the company if they want to become specialized papermakers. If not enough people volunteer, you’ll have to manage it yourselves.”

“I understand.”

“Excuse me, can I talk to you for a moment?”

I felt bad interrupting, but I had a job to do as an advisor.

“...Miss, I’ve been wondering, what is this?”

“Didn’t I explain that you were a consultant?”

“...”

He still looked unconvinced.

“So, young man, do you have a complaint?”

“Well, about the prototype, I’d like you to make a few different types.”

“Huh?”

“One should be similar to this paper. It’s still rough and thick, but I want it to be even stronger, water-resistant, and finer.”

“Water-resistant?”

“Have you tested it? Washi paper is quite water-resistant. The other type should be thin, fine, and preferably white.”

“Hmm...”

“The thin type is best for documents. The thicker type has a wide range of uses. If you make it fire-resistant, you can use it to wrap candles for a gentle light, or as a partition. And, well, you can use it as toilet paper too.”

I use pocket tissues, but since the toilet isn’t flush, I use it without hesitation.

Dauro was silent, arms crossed.

“...If you’re going to use it like that, it needs to be quite soft.”

“Soft paper would be good for wiping your nose too.”

“Haven’t tested it yet, but does this washi paper burn?”

“Yes, it burns well because it’s thin. So, no open flames. I think it was mentioned in the book.”

“Right. I remember that. We’re making it in the place farthest from the charcoal shed.”

Good, I was a bit worried since it’s still a new item.

“I see...”

Dauro muttered, still with his arms crossed.

“I thought that book was something you brought back on a ship... but it was you, wasn’t it?”

He gave me a sharp look. Was I in trouble?

“Well, you see...”

“No need to pry, but... yes, Akira brought that book to our company.”

He said it! Well, it’s not like I could hide it.

“Ah, I just happened to get it from a distant place. I couldn’t understand half of it.”

I tried to play it off. It’s true that I didn’t understand the second half of the book.

“Hmph. Well then, Miss, let’s take a look at the charcoal.”

“I understand.”

We went outside and moved to a new location.

A kiln was built in a cheap, plywood-like enclosure. It was currently emitting smoke.

“We’re still experimenting. We’ve been adding more kilns every day, so the efficiency of our experiments has been improving.”

Upon closer inspection, there were several other enclosures with smoking kilns. Each one had a guard standing by.

“You’re thorough.”

“Of course, Akira. Rats come in when you’re not paying attention. Technology is power. Normally, no one would share their technology like you do.”

I feel like I’m some kind of oddball. No, if I think about it as a monopoly, it’s a foolish act of someone who doesn’t understand crisis management. Thinking about it that way, I’m just a fool.

“Miss, we have some finished products. This way.”

We were led to a much smaller shed this time.

Several pieces of charcoal were lined up on the table.

“The first few failed because air got into the kiln. After that, we compared the burning time and the size of the wood in the new kilns. These are the results, but it’s hard to tell which ones are good and which are bad.”

Some looked like failures, while others looked promising.

“Making high-quality charcoal is said to take about 10 years. For now, aiming for a sufficient level should be enough. The quality of charcoal can be determined by burning it. The less smoke it produces, the better.”

I’m not an expert, but I’ve heard that high-quality charcoal produces no smoke, no flame, and no smell. Since that’s what we need, that’s what we should aim for.

“It would be nice to have a hibachi.”

“What’s that?”

Chelina latched onto the word I let slip.

“Ah, well...”

Please stop looking at me with those sparkling eyes. Don’t get so close, Miss, I can see down your cleavage.

“Ah... I think I might have put it away.”

【Hibachi = 3840 yen】

We need to compare, so I’ll bring out about 10 of them.

I whispered to Chelina.

(I’ll get the money from you later)

She nodded, so I lined up about 10 hibachis.

“Quite a large capacity bag.”

Oops, I didn’t think about that.

“It’s a family heirloom.”

“Well, you managed to bring it out.”

The more I talk, the more I feel like I’m being suspected by the old man.

“...I brought it from my family home.”

“Hmm.”

I feel like I’ve lost credibility as a merchant. Am I really that bad at lying? I need to get back into the swing of things, like in the black market days.

“Let’s test the charcoal. To ensure a consistent environment, I’ve brought hibachis to check the burning performance with the same amount of charcoal.”

“Understood. Let’s do it outside.”

Dauro spoke to me in the first half and to Chelina in the second half as he led us outside.

Another senior craftsman set up the hibachis outside and arranged the charcoal by type. They were quite efficient. This must be the skill of a senior craftsman.

The results were not very satisfying.

Most of the charcoal produced a lot of smoke and large flames. This isn’t what I’m looking for.

I asked Dauro to aim for charcoal that produces no smoke and no flame.

“Making charcoal will take some time.”

“No, the washi paper is just going too smoothly. It’s impressive that we have a charcoal prototype at all.”

On the way back in the carriage, Chelina and I were talking. Melvin was the driver, and two armed guards were riding alongside on horses.

“The possibilities for using washi paper are endless.”

“Paper is the foundation of culture. It can also be a weapon to control information.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Do you have woodblock printing?”

“Woodblock printing... I’ve never heard of it.”

“To put it simply, you write text on a wooden board, carve it, and then print it onto washi paper with ink. There are some technical details, but basically, it’s a way to print the same text or pattern in large quantities without writing by hand.”

“...In large quantities...”

She didn’t seem to understand.

“Well, if the production of washi paper gets on track, we might consider it.”

Considering the literacy rate, it’s hard to say how useful it will be, but I’d like to use it to improve literacy. It’s unrealistic to expect that much in a month.

“No, forget what I just said.”

“Then don’t say things that make me curious.”

Chelina pouted slightly.

I might be imagining it, but I wonder if these childish gestures are her true nature. Maybe, like me, she’s forcing herself to use polite language to suppress her true self.

...No, if she’s in her position, she has to act like an adult. She’s carrying a huge responsibility with the company. She can’t afford to be a child.

I kind of want her to relax a bit... but that’s not like me. Yeah.

Women are scary creatures. I need to remember that. Don’t be fooled. If you trust them, they’ll betray you. They will definitely betray you. Okay, I won’t be fooled by appearances.

I crossed my legs and looked outside. The windows were wooden sliding doors, not glass. When I opened one, I made eye contact with a guard and quickly closed it.

Please don’t look at me with those scary eyes.

I later realized that riding in the same carriage as Miss Chelina was significantly raising the guards’ hostility. I didn’t know, so it’s not my fault!

If you want me to stop, you should talk to Chelina directly!

I want to go home.

Thump!

The carriage jolted violently and came to an abrupt stop. The horse neighed.

“Kyaa!”

Chelina lost her balance and fell into me, so I quickly caught her.

“What’s happening?! What’s going on?!”

I opened the wooden window of the carriage and saw the guards with their spears at the ready.

I tried to open the door to go outside, but another guard immediately shouted, “You idiot! Don’t come out!”

“Hey! What’s happening?!”

“Don’t worry, it’s just bandits! Absolutely do not leave the carriage! Protect Miss!”

One guard dismounted and readied his spear, while the other scanned the area from horseback. They were professionals. I would just get in the way if I went outside, so I decided to wait in the carriage.

“Chelina, I don’t know what will happen, so hold on tight.”

“Okay.”

I wanted her to hold onto the carriage’s handrail, but she clung to me instead.

It was too late to push her away, so I just supported her. If Melvin saw, he’d probably give me a terrible look, but when I peeked through the small window, Melvin was on the driver’s seat, ready to run at full speed if needed.

I looked out the window again and could finally see the group the guards were facing.

We were off the main road, so the area was rocky and the view was poor, but there seemed to be about six of them. They looked dirty and suspicious, not like ordinary people.

“...Could they be from the slums?”

“Slums?”

“Yes. They spread out where the southeast city wall meets the Liber River. The area has poor drainage and unsanitary conditions, so normal people don’t go there often.”

I’ve been to the edge of the slums, where the residential area meets the slums.

There’s actually a church nearby. I don’t understand why it has to be built in such a place, but I was a bit worried about the priest. She’s beautiful, by the way. Or maybe people don’t try to take advantage of nuns in this world.

If you go deep into the slums, you’ll find a lot of people like this.

“The city gates close at night, but some people slip out along the river from the slums, so there are many criminals.”

“Is it technically illegal immigration?”

“I don’t think there’s a clear law, but...”

Maybe they’re not specifically regulated because they’re physically blocked.

But what’s happening outside?

The fight had already started.

Seriously?