episode_0009

“Now, shall we study other books?”

It must have passed the taste test of picky customers. The basic framework of the production process for was now complete.

However, there was still one process left, and that was to upgrade the book.

“The cover of this book is clearly made of white calfskin. I never thought I would write this precious thing in a book.”

“The paper is not hemp paper, but when I looked at it, it seemed to be specially made paper. I can’t believe there was a paper that I still don’t know about.”

“No way! Arachne’s thread was used to bind books? Nonsense. That expensive thing.”

Art supplies were not the only things the merchant brought.

I asked him to get me a variety of books from the capital, from expensive ones to poor quality ones, and indeed, there was a wide variety.

My craftsmen and I looked at the books and analyzed them, checking various aspects such as what materials were used and how they were finished.

‘I still think it’s a good quality book, but it still has a lot of shortcomings.’

The only experience I had in making books was what I had learned at the book art club in my past life, and the craftsmen were not the people who originally made books, so I had a lot of regrets.

Since I have decided to start a business in the future to pay off my family’s debt, the quality of books should be at a similar level, if not the best in the empire.

That’s not all. Classification was also necessary for the popularity of books.

“We plan to provide three types of books.”

“3 things?”

“Yes. I plan to sell the first one to just 10 people in a custom-made format, just like I did in the beginning.”

A top-rated children’s book that recreates Snow White’s characters at the client’s request, making you feel like it’s a book just for you.

This is limited to 10 volumes. Anything more than that is less rare, and more than anything, I can’t handle the workload.

“The second is a high-quality hardcover book. Other things are no different from custom-made versions, but the characters are kind of unified.”

I got a hint for this from my past life. Basically, popular books are released as hardbacks, and although the contents of the books usually do not change much, they are characterized by luxury.

“The last is an entry-level version with appropriate materials, such as when making 100 volumes.”

The last one is the same entry-level version as the 100 volumes made before. It’s easy to make and uses less ingredients, so it doesn’t look luxurious, but it’s cheap, so it’s in high demand.

The craftsmen’s eyes showed great admiration after hearing my explanation of book classification, but then they also looked shocked as if they realized something.

“Hmm… young master. I’m just asking, just in case. How long is the book you’ll be making this time?”

“Hahaha, not much. If you include 10 custom-made volumes, 30 hardcover volumes, and 100 mass-produced volumes, there will be a total of 140 volumes.”

“How long will the 140 volumes… ?”

“What is so urgent? Make it within a month or less!”

“No!!!”

What can’t be done? You guys. Just working 18 hours a day, 6 days a week would be enough.

This is the middle ages, right? This is a world without labor standards laws.

Now, let’s get to work, workers. Is this all just for me to eat well and live well?

Nope. We’re doing this so that we can all do well together.

‘hmm… I feel like I’ve heard this a lot somewhere, but I guess it’s just my mood.’

***

“This is the used printing press you requested. There are no additional features compared to the new model, but there is no difference in printing quality.”

“Thank you for always listening to my requests.”

“Don’t worry about it, master. It’s just that I also want to read your new book quickly.”

‘Esteban’, the owner of the Yuren Merchant Merchants, delivered a printing press in fairly good condition, obtained through the connections he had established in the Magic Tower, to the master of the Somerset family.

I had a hard time thanks to a customer who wanted to buy a printer with the best printing quality, saying he wanted to buy it as cheaply as possible, but I still saved my face by getting it.

After ending the conversation amicably, the merchant owner and his assistant left the Earl of Somerset.

“Sangdan lord, no matter how much this Cinderella storybook deal left a good mark, is this an issue worth paying this much attention to?”

Absinthe, the head of the Goldful Valley branch of the Yuren Sangang, did not understand the Sangdan’s actions.

Sangsanju, a legendary figure who grew Yuren Sangdan, which was just a small to mid-sized merchant, into one of the seven major merchants of the empire with his keen eye for recognizing goods and bold yet cool-headed investments.

I couldn’t help but feel that it was honestly a waste for him to go around selling things like this just to get a deal on a new book called a children’s book.

“If you ask me why, it would be much better to put the money in other directions. Even if you sell it at twice the price, there are at most 100 copies.”

But the owner of the top also knew that. If you look at the amount of money alone, a business of this size is overflowing.

Nevertheless, the reason why the owner of the merchant himself took the initiative and even provided the goods and paid such attention was because he discovered a different value.

“Then is there any other reason?”

“This time, it only took 3 days to sell 100 copies of the Cinderella storybook.”

Considering the time it took for the rumor that Yuren Danang had Cinderella to spread, he left as soon as he came in.

“There were definitely no nobles, so I couldn’t buy it.”

“Some nobles even put up absurd conditions, saying they would give them contracts for other goods if they sold them books.”

Those arrogant nobles tend to look down on merchants, no matter how wealthy they are.

The only time their attitude becomes humble is when they can’t repay the money they borrowed, but it’s like these nobles treat them in a friendly way by asking them to sell them a book.

Just thinking about that scene made me laugh.

“This is not a matter of profit. In the future, children’s books will become a strategic weapon to attack the noble aristocracy.”

As I watched Sang Sang-ju speak confidently, I knew what absinthe meant, but I couldn’t stop thinking that it seemed a bit excessive.

However, it turns out that the priority is to please the excited upper management, so the only way is to laugh and agree with them.

***

What are the important factors that determine the quality of an item?

That was the detail.

With the creation of this new book, many aspects have been improved.

Sheepskin was thought to be the best leather, but white calfskin, the highest quality leather that would only be used in the imperial family, was used for the book cover.

It had the strength of steel, but was also sewn with Arachne’s thread, which had the elasticity of a spider’s web.

That’s not all. Thin metal plates were added to each corner of the book to prevent it from being damaged even if it is placed on a bookshelf or dropped.

In addition, there was also the process of making bookmark strings and adding the scent of ‘tonpi tree’ to prevent insects from attracting them later.

A book I created while learning about processes I didn’t know about.

For an entire month, my craftsmen and I focused only on making books, except when we were eating.

The quality of the books produced in this way was certainly not inferior to that of the high-quality books brought from the capital by the owner of the merchant, but in fact seemed to be superior.

“I miss my family… .”

“The schedule was not this excessive even for the exhibition.”

Tsk. The physical strength of craftsmen is weaker than expected. I was worried that I would be in trouble, so I paid attention to my welfare by feeding him potions that I had purchased at a high cost from the church.

This world is truly the best.

Even people with low physical strength could see their eyes light up and get up and move again if they were given a sip of the vitality potion made by the church.

I heard it’s a potion made for soldiers exhausted from the battlefield, but for workers, the workplace is a battlefield, so it’s probably okay to use it.

“Anyway, since I finished making the book, I have to sell it, but I hope the owner of the bookstore has been good to me.”

In the case of , it was promoted on its own thanks to the word of mouth from Ada’s peers who visited our estate.

In the case of , 10 nobles had to be selected to make custom orders, and a process of finding people to purchase them was also necessary.

In fact, the case of was unique and is now normal.

If demand created supply, now is the time to create demand through supply.

I entrusted this process to Yuren Sang-ju, and he accepted it with confidence.

Now all I had to do was wait.

***

“Sorry. Count, I was able to reserve the hardcover version, but the limited edition has no choice but to go through a lottery.”

bang!

The Count of Bordeaux forgot his dignity as a nobleman and slammed his fist on the table in the drawing room.

“Was the relationship between you and me really this bad? I’m not asking too much, am I? ”

“I also want to sell it to the Count, but… .”

“But what is it?”

“I can’t cheat with the royal family either, right?”

“What… What!”

The Count of Bordeaux got goosebumps all over his body at Esteban’s remarks.

What a royal family! Even though the name belongs to the top Uren merchant, which is popular these days, it was not a name that would come out of the mouth of a single merchant.

“No way… No, are you really saying that the imperial family was interested in this book?”

It’s an incredible story.

I myself have been suffering from my granddaughter lately, so I tried to save her. Why on earth would the imperial family try to obtain this ‘children’s book’?

Despite the count’s question, the owner of the top just spoke quietly while putting his index finger to his mouth.

“Count, as am I, it is difficult to predict how the imperial family will react if this story spreads. I guess you like it… .”

“Ah… . I understand! I understand, so stop.”

That is correct. It would be difficult to see a good outcome if you got involved in the imperial family’s affairs for no reason.

So the Count had no choice but to refrain from further questions and simply ask for a hardcover copy and a lottery for a limited edition.

When the Count of Bordeaux, who had personally visited the Uren upper branch and shook up the living room, left, Esteban could barely hold back his laughter.

“That arrogant Count of Bordeaux would come all the way here at the request of his granddaughter.”

I had no idea that the new children’s book “Snow White” would have this much impact.

We only spread the news that a new book was coming out to people who had previously purchased the children’s book, but the response was very enthusiastic.

“Moreover, I really didn’t know that ‘that person’ would be interested in this book.”

An imperial servant who suddenly came to visit him.

And when the order was given to prepare a limited edition book in his name, Esteban, a merchant who had experienced many hardships, felt his heart pound.

‘Anyway, even that is just being used.’

The imperial family also told us to keep the fact that we ordered it a secret, but it won’t be kept anyway.

Perhaps every nobleman he meets in the neighborhood will spread the word and it will naturally become publicity.

Esteban was excited to see how far the popularity of this children’s book would soar.