The wall newspaper was drawing a lot of attention in Village Five, but its spread to other towns and villages remained limited.
That made sense, considering the content was almost entirely focused on Village Five. It was essentially a local paper; there was no reason for it to attract much interest from outsiders. The literacy rate also played a part. As things stood, I didn't expect to see newspapers popping up in other locations for the time being.
"That's right," Lu agreed. "Given our head start on paper and printing technology, we'll probably hold a monopoly for the next hundred years, don't you think?"
She sounded confident, but that was only true if things remained static. I knew from experience that technology like this could spread like wildfire with just a small catalyst.
"A catalyst? Like what?"
"Well, for example, there's the book sales event Versa and the others are planning."
"The one for books catering to that specific hobby?"
"It sounds like they’ll be handling ordinary books as well."
"Really?"
Apparently, while Versa and her group wanted to hold the event, they didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves.
"So, the ordinary books are just a smokescreen."
"Exactly. But even so, lovers of regular books will surely gather. No one has ever heard of a dedicated book sales event before. I think that could be the trigger."
If various books were sold, the number of readers would grow. That meant money. And where there was a profit to be made, people would inevitably try to replicate the work of Delzen Papermaking and Delzen Printing. Replication would lead to improvements, and through a cycle of trial and error…
"It would spread," Lu finished.
"It’s just a possibility. But look at how similar shops opened up the moment ramen became a hit. I think it will be exactly the same."
"…So we won't be able to keep it to ourselves. Should we have the event canceled?"
"I couldn't do something so cruel. Besides, I think it's better if the technology spreads."
"How selfless of you."
"Not at all. I'm greedier than you think."
"Are you?"
"I am. Look at Village Five now—you can enjoy all sorts of different ramen flavors, right? Isn't that a better situation?"
"…I suppose it isn't bad."
Fuuma, the humanoid suit, was currently eating. He moved a spoon and fork to the mouth hidden beneath his hood, but in reality, he wasn't using his mouth at all. The Zabuton's Children stationed in his hands and head were finely shredding the food and pulling it inside. It only looked like he was eating.
The original plan was for him to put the food in his mouth, shred it in the oral cavity, and then swallow, but that had become impossible once they installed the vocalizer in the jaw.
"Hmm. Meat and salads are fine, but liquids like soup are a real challenge," muttered Ya, the Mountain Elf, as she watched Fuuma eat with a tilted head. "It’s not the most elegant method, but what if he spills the liquid on his chest and absorbs it from there?"
"Could you actually manage that?"
"I believe we can install an intake port for liquids in the chest piece."
"Hmm. In that case, what if we attach an external intake port and run a hose around to the back? Between the black clothes and the hood, it would be hidden, wouldn't it?"
"That’s true, but…"
She didn't look convinced. She probably hated the idea of adding external parts for aesthetic reasons.
"Ah! What if a straw comes out of the mouth? If he just sucks through that, there’s no problem."
"And who’s going to do the sucking? Do you think Zabuton's Children have that kind of lung capacity?"
"Guh! How superior the human body is!"
"Now, now, we can't expect perfection from the start. We'll just have to find a way to fake it for the liquids."
"However, what if someone offers him alcohol over there?"
"He’ll just have to decline and say he can’t drink for religious reasons. In reality, it’s a functional issue, but the excuse works."
"I'll think of a countermeasure."
"Don't push yourself too hard. And make sure the spiders aren't overworking themselves either."
"I’ll do my best!"
A few days later, I found a version of Fuuma that spoke from its forehead while eating with its mouth.
"Change it back immediately."
I received a letter from Torain, Ann's son, who was currently staying at the Galgard Noble Academy in the Demon Kingdom Royal Capital. He could have come back in an instant using the teleportation gate, but he had chosen to write. It felt a little lonely, but I knew he’d put a lot of heart into it, so I sat down to read it properly.
The letter was a report on his recent activities. Torain had originally gone to the academy to look after Alfred and the others, but since Al and his group had left on their study tour, Torain had been left behind. Now, he was managing Alfred's faction while studying to become a butler.
Let me see… "I have recently been invited to Count Pugyal's mansion to study"?
Wait, what?
Apparently, when he went to consult with Gol, Sil, and Bron about his studies, he met Count Pugyal and was given the chance to learn there. Huh. And here I am, still having never met the Count myself. If he was treating my son so well, I needed to thank him.
Hm? "No thanks are necessary. He said that since his daughter is being looked after, this much is only natural"?
I suppose that made sense in a way. Even so, if I insisted on sending a gift, he asked that I entrust it to Beezel. Well, if he was fine with that, I’d do exactly that.
The letter also mentioned Maa, the Mountain Elf who had accompanied Torain to the academy. It seemed she had built a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine.
Oh, a motorbike!
She was using knowledge gained from her research into the Multi-purpose Humanoid Mobile Heavy Equipment—the Artie Horses. It was good to see that even in the Royal Capital, they were keeping up an exchange of information with the village. Then again, using the teleportation gate, it didn't even take an hour to get from my mansion to the academy.
Let's see… "Thicker tires provide more stability but less speed and make turning harder. Thinner tires increase speed and maneuverability but cause the vehicle to fall over when stopped"?
Handling also required a high level of skill. As a result, Maa was currently struggling to find the optimal tire thickness. Trial and error is a fine thing, but I’d have to write back and remind them not to neglect safety. Since there was a risk of falling, I’d tell her she must wear a helmet. I also wanted her to utilize the same safety protocols used for the Artie Horses.
Then there was Kierbit, who had also gone to the academy with Torain. Was she currently working at the Royal Castle in Tiselle's stead? Wait, didn't they say that would be impossible because she was a celebrity? Were they so desperate that they couldn't afford to care?
Apparently, Eric and Elder Belbark were at the castle as well. I remembered Eric; he was the one who had been assisting Tiselle at the academy. I recalled meeting him there once. The same went for Elder Belbark. If I remembered correctly, he was the great-grandfather—or was it great-great-grandfather?—of the Academy Director, who was the Demon King’s wife. The introduction had been a bit vague, so my memory was hazy. Regardless, he was an elder of the Demon Race who had lived a very long time and possessed an incredible network of connections.
To think even someone like him was working in the capital.
Wait, I saw the Demon King and Beezel in the village all the time. Didn't the Demon King just play a baseball game in Village Five recently? Is the Demon Kingdom actually going to be okay? Also, if you let Kierbit get involved in national politics, she’ll eventually take the whole thing over.
Hmm. This couldn't possibly be the case, but I wondered if the Demon King was secretly letting the Angel Race take over the government because the administration had become too much for them to handle.
Hahaha. I’d write back to Torain and then check in with the Demon King.
"The civil servants had bloodshot eyes. They told me it wouldn't be a problem even if I were absent. In fact, they said I was just a hindrance," the Demon King explained with a dignified face while stroking the cats on his lap.
The civil officials had apparently reached a point where they had to be blunt. "We have designated specific dates. On those days, and only those days, you must absolutely come to the castle."
The Demon King had simply replied, "Understood!"
Beezel had tried to intervene on his behalf. "N-Now then, everyone, perhaps we could show a bit more respect for the Lord Demon King…"
"Do you really think we have the mental capacity for that right now?" the officials had shot back.
"M-My apologies," Beezel had stammered.
Meanwhile, Count Pugyal had quietly left an offering of snacks and departed, earning the silent gratitude of the staff.
Kierbit was determined to work hard so Torain wouldn't run into any trouble.
Elder Belbark lamented that he hadn't been fast enough to escape the workload, while Eric felt he had been caught up in the crossfire.
The civil officials, however, viewed them as incredible reinforcements. To them, the future of the Demon Kingdom looked bright.
Back in the capital, Maa’s engine went vroom vroom vroom, and Torain watched it all, thinking everyone seemed to be having quite a lot of fun.