Versa and her friends were involved in more than just the papermaking and printing businesses they had handed over to me. There was also a publishing arm that collected and edited manuscripts for sale, as well as a distribution network specialized solely in books. They were thoroughly covering every base.
Given the progression, I wondered if bookstores were on the horizon, but it seemed they were still in the planning stages. They weren't sure if a dedicated bookstore could turn a profit yet. People wanted books, but they certainly weren't cheap. Once printing really took off and the volume of books increased, prices might drop and attract more customers—but lower prices made it harder to hit sales targets. Since most people didn't buy multiple copies of the same book, bookstores would have to wait until they had a larger variety of titles.
For now, they were consigning book sales to general retailers and restaurants. The distribution branch was responsible for securing those partners and handling deliveries. They had already locked down several locations. The sheer initiative shown by Versa's friends was staggering.
"Indeed it is," the woman beside me agreed.
She was the acting representative for the papermaking and printing businesses I’d taken over—one of the original members of the civil official girls. Her name was Eliza.
In her role as acting representative, Eliza wore somber, librarian-like attire. She also wore glasses, despite having perfectly fine vision.
"Looking the part is essential," she explained. "It makes it much easier to signal my role to those around me."
I suppose so.
Her full name was Eliza Picketend, the daughter of the House of Viscount Picketend. For generations, the heads of her house had served as the Chief Librarian of the Demon Kingdom, earning the title 'Keepers of the Collection.' That was why she had volunteered to lead the new printing and papermaking ventures.
"Yes. My useless family home finally found a way to be helpful, so I stepped forward," she said.
"Useless?"
"Quite."
"Your own home?"
"Yes."
"But they're the Keepers of the Collection, aren't they?"
"Do you know what actually constitutes the Demon Kingdom’s official collection, Village Head?"
"Well, no... I just assumed it was full of rare and valuable volumes."
"In theory, yes. In practice, the collection consists almost entirely of the personal diaries of past Demon Kings and nobles."
"Diaries?"
"Exactly."
"Well, wouldn't those be invaluable as historical records?"
"If what was written in them was factual, certainly."
I blinked. "What do you mean?"
"It’s a bit of a headache, really. They have a tendency to omit anything inconvenient."
"I see. So they don't write about losing battles or things like that?"
"If that were the extent of it, I wouldn't be complaining. It would still be in the 'tolerable' category."
"Tolerable?"
"Yes. The real issue is the blatant fiction."
"Blatant fiction? Like... claiming they defeated a thousand men when it was actually a hundred?"
"If it were on that scale, I could forgive it. But it isn't."
"Then what is it?"
"If everything written in those archives were true, the sky would be littered with the fragments of a shattered moon, and the continent would have been ground into powder and sunk to the bottom of the sea."
"That's... certainly epic. Someone actually wrote that they shattered the moon?"
"One of the older Demon Kings."
"..."
"The one who ground the continent into powder was a different Demon King altogether."
"..."
"According to the records, generations of generals and nobles have slain tens of thousands of Ancient Devils, and the Demon Kingdom’s army has never lost a single engagement while conquering a million human kingdoms."
If the fiction went that far, they weren't diaries—they were tall tales. Maybe they could just be enjoyed as fantasy?
"Village Head, it is a tragic reality that just because someone can write, it does not mean they possess any literary talent."
"I... suppose not."
"Most of them simply plagiarized the phrasing and style of better writers. I've seen dozens of books with identical content, with nothing changed but the names of the protagonists."
"Well, that's one way to do it."
"What else would you call the task of managing such a collection, if not useless?"
"Now, wait a minute. It can't all be like that. Surely there are books with useful information?"
"Anyone with useful information keeps those books for themselves. They never end up in the national collection. Even the current Lord Demon King keeps his truly important texts with the Academy Director."
"............"
"Wait, so your family can actually help us, right?"
"Oh, yes. They were delighted that their specialized knowledge regarding book preservation and storage could finally be put to use."
"Well, that’s a relief. But as I’m sure you know, we have to be extremely careful about how we handle compensation for your relatives."
"Naturally. I’ve already made arrangements to ensure I am completely removed from any decisions regarding my family's pay."
"Thanks. I hate to be a stickler, but it's for the best."
"Not at all. If I don't ensure there isn't even a whisper of suspicion, my life might be in forfeit."
"Your life?"
"You are the representative of this entire enterprise, Village Head. If anyone suspected I was funneling excessive funds to my own family, Frau-sama would surely have my head."
"I... don't think Frau is quite that bloodthirsty."
"That is only because you didn't know the Frau-sama from the Academy days."
"That’s true, I didn't."
"Frau-sama was the one who commanded the inner circle around Yuri-sama."
"I've heard that much."
"The girls surrounding Yuri-sama were notorious noble daughters: Kurakasse of the House of Count Pugyal, Rosalind of the House of Count Glitch, Rasshashi of the House of Count Drowa, and Roage of the House of Viscount Mamonros. To lead such a group, one had to be... somewhat extreme."
"I see."
"And were you also one of these 'notorious' daughters?"
"............I had long since given up on my useless family and had to make my own way in the world. But that is all in the past!"
"Right. The past is the past."
"Exactly! I will forget the past and live for the future! On that note, Village Head, I have a request regarding the naming of the businesses."
Ah, right.
The matter Eliza had been pestering me about. It was the branding of the new ventures. Initially, Versa had her own name attached to everything: Versa Papermaking, Versa Printing, Versa Publishing, Versa Distribution, and the Versa Bookstore.
The names themselves weren't bad, but because of the specific nature of the books Versa wrote, the name 'Versa' carried a very specific connotation. It suggested 'Versa’s Hobbies.' In other words, people would assume that the papermaking, printing, publishing, and bookstores only handled books for Versa’s... specific tastes.
That wouldn't do. We needed a rebrand. Versa had agreed, and after discussions with the stakeholders, I had instructed them to use the name 'Delzen.' Thus, Versa Publishing became Delzen Publishing, and so on.
However, that still left the papermaking and printing businesses she had handed over to me. Apparently, as the owner, I had to be the one to name these two.
...
"Would using your name be alright? Eliza Papermaking or Eliza Printing?"
"I could never presume to take a name away from Lady Versa."
"You don't have to be so humble about it."
"Let me rephrase that. Lady Versa’s circle of friends would never allow it."
"I see. Hmm..."
"Ideally, we would receive your name, Village Head. It would be the greatest honor."
Hiraku Papermaking or Machio Printing, then? Even though I’d suggested Eliza’s name, I wasn't particularly comfortable putting my own name on the masthead. Not that it was forbidden, but still. Well, let's just keep it consistent with Versa's branding.
Delzen Papermaking and Delzen Printing. Yeah, if I could get Versa's blessing, we'd go with that.
"Won't that lead to confusion? People will assume we're all part of the same group."
"We essentially are, aren't we?"
"......True enough."
"If Versa doesn't like it, I'll think of something else."
"Understood."
A few days later, we received her permission without any issues. The businesses were officially renamed Delzen Papermaking and Delzen Printing.
As it turned out, 'Delzen' was the name of the place where Versa and Progenitor-san first met long ago.
Progenitor-san had completely forgotten about it, though.
Eliza: "I am not the civil official girl who loves the classics. I am a completely different person." The Civil Official Girls who like the classics: "I’m actually much more interested in the publishing side of things." Versa: "If he remembered the name Delzen but forgot me, that would be an even bigger problem." Progenitor-san: "Mhm, quite so." Versa: "............" Progenitor-san: "Hmm?"