That was back when the rainy season had just begun and Frea-san started her long break.
「What’s wrong, Lutte?」
「Argusta-sama～」
「Ah. You made another mistake on the paperwork again, didn’t you?」
「That’s why I’m a hunter’s daughter! I’ve lived my whole life without ever dealing with things like paperwork～」
Watching her rewrite it with teary eyes, I thought to myself.
Even among nobles, plenty of people have shaky reading and writing skills.
Lower nobles are barely different from common folk in that regard.
When I think about it, Lutte, who spent her days running around the mountains, must have had it really tough.
「Hmm?」
Wait… why doesn’t this world have printing technology?
「Krea～」
「If it’s to buy cake, I’m in!」
What kind of conditioned reflex is that?
「Frea-san told me not to feed you too much. So no cake today.」
「Ehh～」
「Stop complaining. More importantly, Krea? Do you know about that thing?」
「That thing?」
I started to say it, then realized.
If no one here knows about this, it’s a huge problem, right?
Bringing strange technology into this world could literally put my life in danger.
「Hmm～」
「Argusta-sama?」
Fine. I’ll just ask casually and see how they react.
If the response is bad, it means this world doesn’t have it, so I’ll bluff my way out full force.
「You know, that thing. Where you carve letters into a wooden block, ink it, and press it onto paper.」
「Ah, printing?」
「Yeah, that. I totally forgot about it.」
They have it.
「But that technology is monopolized by the western countries, right?」
「……」
I see.
「Hmm～. I’m going for a short walk. Noie… coming?」
「Yes.」
「Hey, Argusta-sama! The work!」
「I’ve already finished my share. If there’s more, just leave it on my desk.」
Leaving the protesting Krea behind, my first stop would be the king or the prime minister.
-0-
「Printing, huh?」
「Yes.」
「I’ve heard there’s such technology in the western countries. What about it?」
I sat facing the king on the sofa, rare to find him actually in his office.
Wait… do the people in this world not realize how important printing is?
「How much do you know about printing?」
「Hm? I think it involves carving wood and pressing it onto paper?」
「Exactly.」
I handed Noie a knife and a wooden board, asking her to carve the letters I wrote with a quill pen.
As always, her movements were precise and accurate. In no time at all, she had carved the board.
「I suddenly thought of something.」
「What is it?」
「If we could copy written text onto paper like this… we wouldn’t have to rewrite it every time.」
I inked the carved board, placed paper on top, and rubbed lightly to check the transfer.
Yes, success. 『I Love Noie』 came out clearly.
The king took the paper and made a complicated expression.
「Showing off your lovey-dovey words doesn’t really impress me.」
「That’s not the point, idiot… I mean, if we carved the standard phrases used in reports onto the board and only wrote the extra parts by hand each time, wouldn’t that save the civil officials a lot of effort?」
The king froze completely.
He must have finally realized the importance of printing.
Thanks for ignoring my natural retort, I appreciate it.
「Most report items are pretty much fixed, right? So if we pre-carve the standard parts and only hand-write the additions, it should reduce their workload a lot.」
「Indeed… yes, you’re right.」
The king rang the small bell on his desk.
Chiriririri…
After the sound echoed, ikemen onii-chan entered with a single knock.
Where were you hiding?
「You called?」
「Yes. Argusta, explain what you just said to Schnitt again.」
「Understood.」
After a brief explanation, ikemen onii-chan grasped it immediately.
「It’s not a bad idea.」
「You think so too, right?」
「Yes. However…」
「What is it?」
He crossed his arms and rested a finger under his chin, looking every bit the picture of composure.
Damn handsome guy.
「If we implement this, the military officers will probably make a fuss.」
「Why?」
The king looked at me with a doubtful gaze.
Onii-chan nodded with his usual calm expression.
「Yes. They do not understand how much work the civil officials actually do. They mistakenly believe the civil officials simply sit there like decorations from morning until evening. If people like that learn that the civil officials’ workload will become even lighter.」
「They will resist and start complaining?」
「Yes.」
The king’s expression soured at those words. I felt the same way.
For some reason, the muscle-brained fools we call military officers never seem to understand how difficult the civil officials’ work really is.
As a result, they always end up in conflict with the civil officials.
「Ah. In that case, I have a good plan.」
「Oh? What kind of plan?」
「Yes. Right now, all sorts of work keeps getting dumped on me without asking. I can use that to my advantage—accept the mistaken documents as they are and let the generals come crying to me.」
The king looked stunned at my suggestion, while onii-chan let out a quiet, amused chuckle.
「You’re going to turn it around and make the generals understand just how important the civil officials’ work is?」
「Yes. Once that realization spreads to some extent, they will start checking the documents themselves and learn firsthand how difficult it is to create them. After that, Your Excellency the Prime Minister can announce the printing plan.」
At those words, both of them looked at me.
「What? You’re giving the credit to Schnitt?」
「Yes. By then I’ll probably be thoroughly hated by the generals anyway. If a hated person makes such a revolutionary suggestion, they’ll reject it outright.」
Then the printing plan would fail.
「So let it come mainly from the Prime Minister. Ah, I’ll handle the prototypes here. That would probably be better, right?」
These two already know I’m an otherworlder, so they understood immediately.
Then they can perfect this plan for me.
「Noie. Let’s go back to the room and think it over.」
「Yes.」
She looked happily at the second printed sheet, her ahoge swaying with delight.
All right, let’s do this!
「Augusta.」
「Yes?」
「Why are you so motivated all of a sudden?」
Without hesitation, I answered the king’s parting question with complete honesty.
「It’s obvious. The more efficient things get, the more time I can spend with Noie.」
That is what gives me strength every day.
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