Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Otherworld Cheat Harem.

Episode 48: Newspaper (1).

“Is this it?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, let’s see.”

The Saintess unfolded the newspaper Charlotte had brought and savored its contents. Secrets of housewives that one wouldn’t know unless they paid attention, features of the Ainz people that might intrigue the public.

And last night. The truth about the great fire that broke out in the slums.

For medieval citizens, who generally received little information throughout their lives, these were highly stimulating details.

The Saintess began to smile as she read the newspaper.

“This is interesting.”

“Is it?”

“Haven’t you read it yet?”

“When I looked, there seemed to be nothing but trivial things…”

“Well! That’s because you already knew all this information, right, Lotte?”

“…That’s correct.”

Of course, it was unlikely that she knew things like ‘100 Essential Tips for Housewives,’ but she wasn’t interested in such topics from the start.

No matter how provocative the content and title were, if there was no interest, they wouldn’t read it.

“Then how would it look to ordinary people?”

“Ordinary people… I’m not sure.”

“Is your sensitivity all dead or something? Then you’ll be hated by your husband later.”

The Saintess teased Charlotte with a smirk. ‘Not again,’ Charlotte sighed and ignored her words.

“This will be a big topic. It’s that interesting. Of course, there will be several checks before that… “

She was here right now. The Saintess of the Holy Nation.

“Is it a coincidence, or is there something else?”

A great power that was interested in Dojin and was ready to dedicate everything for him.

“Well, it has to be this much for me to place a bet.”

As long as the benevolent touch of the Saintess was present, he would not be harmed in this city.

Newspaper.

A new invention never seen before on the fantasy continent.

The reactions of those who encountered it were varied.

“Mom! Look at this!”

“Is it firewood? Perfect.”

A housewife delighted to receive free firewood.

“The tail of a beastman, in that way…”

“So if you gently touch that part, they feel like that? Oh, I see…”

Those intrigued by the gossip in the newspaper.

And…

“Hmm, this is…”

“What do you think, Father?”

The Lord murmured as he looked at the newspaper. He realized the influence this new thing could wield.

Propaganda.

This small piece of paper held the power to incite people.

For example, what if it printed the fabricated phrase [The Saintess is a Harlot] and scattered it throughout the city?

All newspapers would be recalled, and the person distributing them would be immediately taken away by inquisitors. Anyone who dared to speak of the matter would be dragged away and tortured.

Though it wouldn’t be very credible, and the claims were absurd, it would linger in people’s memories.

Memories would eventually be diluted and become unconscious.

In the unconscious of some, the false memory of the Saintess being a harlot would remain.

There was no need to deceive everyone. Even if only a few were deceived, it was very easy to incite others.

‘Fortunately… it’s not something that can be easily made, and those capable of producing such newspapers wouldn’t recklessly abuse it.’

This was a new power that could manipulate the masses.

“Who made this?”

“It’s a place called Earth Trading Company. Seeing as it’s endorsed by the Adventurers’ Guild, it seems to be owned by a senior adventurer.”

“Ha, just an adventurer…”

The Lord frowned at those words. This could be seen as a challenge to power. And from a mere adventurer…

“The guild isn’t running it directly, is it?”

“I don’t think so. They’re struggling with the recently changed dungeon themselves.”

“Then it’s settled. This is…”

The Lord’s mind was calculating. Taking or destroying it was quite easy. But was it really necessary?

Even if he took it now, the concept of a newspaper was already imprinted in the citizens’ minds.

So, for now, he would let it be. He would watch as they spend their own money and endure the losses until they show a weakness. He would target them then.

“For now, leave it be. Find out what’s needed to create the same thing.”

“Yes, understood.”

The eldest son bowed his head and left the room. The Lord glanced at the newspaper briefly before quickly turning his attention away. A mountain of documents and duties awaited him.

As the newspaper spread throughout the city, Deokgu secluded himself in his room to prepare next week’s edition.

I headed to the dungeon with the kids. To supply the mana stones Deokgu needed for the newspaper, we had to defeat more monsters than before.

Fortunately, since I had reached level 3, securing the mana stones wasn’t too difficult.

When I headed to the guild with a backpack full of mana stones, Pion approached me with a tearful face.

“Sir Dojiiiinnnn…”

“…Pion? What’s wrong?”

“This… sniff… what happened here…?”

She, on the verge of tears, thrust the newspaper at me. I took it from her and skimmed through the contents. It was the same newspaper we distributed yesterday.

“Why? There’s nothing wrong with it…”

“It’s full of problems! This part! Why did you praise the guild so much?! Because of this, we’re getting tons of complaints from the guards, the Knight Order, and the Magic Tower!”

“Pion.”

I met her gaze. Her tear-filled eyes stirred sympathy just by looking at them.

However.

“Isn’t that… none of my business?”

“Sir Dojinnnn…!”

Pion clung to my leg, whining. But I smiled and ignored her.

“That’s why you shouldn’t have granted permission.”

“Aaah! How could we refuse a request from a senior adventurer…? We can’t take it back now…”

“Is it that hard?”

“It’s hard. So hard I want to commit suicide.”

“Then, from now on, turn it over to us.”

“…What?”

She tilted her head as if she hadn’t heard me and asked again. I conveyed it to her once more.

“When complaints come in, send them to us. Where is the business address registered?”

“Uh, it’s… at Sir Dojin’s mansion.”

“That’s good, no need to go far.”

Pion swallowed silently for a moment. Then, she slowly reviewed the documents and looked at me.

“Are you really okay with this? I mean, of course, I’d be grateful if you’d do it, but this is no joke, you know? The guild is barely managing to hold it back…”

“It’s okay.”

Whether complaints came in or whatever. Right now, I am the strongest.

Why? Because there was the Saintess behind me.

As long as I had the Saintess’s backing, there was nothing to fear.

‘Unless a demon king appears…’

And unfortunately, there were no demon kings in this world.

Pion processed the related documents with excessive joy.

For someone who was talking about quitting or committing suicide just a moment ago, she was overly cheerful.

They say humans are creatures of regret.

I regret what I did yesterday.

“Earth Trading Company and its master, come forth!”

The servant of some noble shouted noisily. Without tiring, he kept squawking until I came out.

As if his throat were made of mithril or orichalcum, he shouted incessantly.

Eventually, I gave up and went outside, and with a raised nose, he recited the noble’s words with his head held high.

“I am the envoy of Duke Tuya, Count Misdar, and Count Konyau, so my words are as good as theirs! The Earth Trading Company is engaging in excessive activities, and I order you to cease these activities immediately and present the related information!”

Dukes here, counts there, all sounded absurd to me, who came from Earth where the aristocratic system had almost disappeared.

However, this was another world. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and in this world, there were laws of this world.

“I am Kim Dojin, the head and investor of the Earth Trading Company. You say you are the envoy of Duke Tuya.”

“That is correct!”

“Then you must be aware of the peculiarities of this territory?”

I grinned as I looked at him. Just as modern laws were, this world also had citizens living far removed from the law due to the complex words, phrases, and difficult grammar.

Thus, ordinary citizens or adventurers would live bowing to nobles from other territories. But not me.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“In the Dungeon Territory, no noble other than the Lord can exercise power, and citizens entering the city are guaranteed their freedom… I trust you aren’t pretending not to know this.”

This city was a hub where all kinds of different races and immigrants from various countries gathered. Recognizing titles or vested interests from every country in such a city would only make things more complicated.

Is the chieftain of the elf tribe higher than a count? Lower?

What level of status does a bishop from the Holy Nation hold?

When beings from different cultures and societies meet, various problems are bound to arise.

So, the Lord of the dungeon made it very simple by severing all powers except that of the Lord. Nobility, you say? It doesn’t matter. Unless I first insult him and stab him to death, he cannot exert any influence over me.

“…I will return for today. However, I will definitely remember this!”

“Yes, please return.”

After sending back the envoy, I returned to the mansion once more. A sigh escaped me naturally. Perhaps I shouldn’t have asked to send them to our mansion.

‘No, after all, they are just the Knight Order, the guards, and the Magic Tower.’

When I heard Pion’s words, I thought most of it had already been resolved, and there wouldn’t be any problems.

I was very wrong.

This world wasn’t Earth. It wasn’t the 21st-century information age where something that happened in the morning would spread worldwide by noon, but a backward world where even sending communications a few dozen meters away was considered cutting-edge technology.

In such a world, news from a week ago wasn’t considered old. It was a world where one must believe a traveling merchant’s tale from years ago as if it were recent.

In other words, pressuring the guild on the first day could only be done by a very close and highly informed group.

The real troublemakers had not even begun to appear.

“Um… Dojin.”

“What is it? Someone else again?”

“Yes, so…”

“Just chase them away.”

“B-but…”

“Are you scared because they’re a noble? Didn’t you hear what I said earlier? Noble or not, they’re nothing in this city.”

“It’s not that. It’s because they said they know you.”

“…Me?”

There weren’t many people I knew in this city. I stepped outside with a puzzled expression.

In front of the mansion. A tiny kid, who seemed familiar, was standing there with a cone hat pressed deeply over their head.

Though the face was not visible, I could easily tell who it was.

‘Raize?’

A mage kid I met a few weeks ago in the dungeon.

The envoy of the Magic Tower, whom I thought I would never see again.

Sip. Raize savored the taste of the tea brought by the maid. To Dojin, it seemed like nothing more than a child’s whim.

However, one must not act hastily in front of a child. Dojin slowly drank his tea as well. By the time the tea was almost finished, Raize spoke.

“It’s been a while, Dojin.”

“…Yeah, it’s been a while.”

“Do you know why I’m here?”

“Well, why did you come?”

Feigning ignorance, Dojin asked as if he didn’t know. Raize flared out her clothing. The robe, signifying her status as a mage of the Magic Tower, fluttered with her motion.

“I’m here as an envoy of the Magic Tower. Don’t you know what that means?”

“What does it mean?”

“It means, with one word from me, the Magic Tower will decide whether to oppose you or ally with you.”

As she said this, Raize pulled a scroll from her bosom. Dojin was wary for a moment, but he relaxed when he sensed no hostility from her.

She unfurled the scroll and handed it to him. He squinted to examine it, realizing it was a contract.

“Read it. If there’s anything you’re dissatisfied with, let me know.”

“What… is this?”

“A contract. The Magic Tower is very interested in the newspaper you created.”

Dojin slowly read through the contract. The demands of the Magic Tower were simple. They wanted their magic circle to be included as part of the newspaper.

‘Isn’t this… an advertisement?’

It hadn’t even been 24 hours since the newspaper was released, but already, influential groups who realized the power of this new medium started proposing advertisements.