Snow White

"Alright then, shall we study some other books?"

Having passed the picky customer's taste test, the basic framework for the Snow White production process was now complete.

But one step still remained: making the book more luxurious.

"This cover is clearly made of white calfskin. To think they'd use something this precious on a book."

"The paper isn't magic-stone paper either—I underestimated it. It looks specially made. To think there was still paper I didn't know about."

"How can this be! They used Arachne silk for the bookbinding? That's absurd. Something that expensive."

What the merchant company head had brought wasn't limited to art supplies.

I had asked him to obtain a wide range of books from the capital, from expensive volumes to low-quality ones, and indeed the variety was impressive.

The artisans and I examined those books, analyzing what materials had been used and how they had been finished, checking various aspects one by one.

'I think the quality is decent as it is, but there are still plenty of shortcomings.'

My own book-making experience amounted to nothing more than what I'd learned in a book arts club in my previous life, and the artisans weren't originally bookmakers either, so there was much left to be desired.

Since I'd decided to go into business to repay the family debt, our books had to be close to the best in the empire, even if they couldn't quite claim the top spot.

And that wasn't all. To make the books popular, I also needed to classify them into tiers.

"I plan to release the book in three editions."

"Three types?"

"Yes. The first will be made-to-order, like the original, and sold to only ten people."

A top-tier fairy-tale book whose Snow White character would be recreated according to each client's request, giving them the feeling that the book was made just for them.

Ten copies was the limit. Any more would diminish the scarcity, and more importantly, I couldn't handle the workload.

"The second is a premium hardcover edition. It's no different from the made-to-order version in other respects, but the character comes in a standardized form."

I'd gotten the idea from my previous life. Successful books were typically released as hardcover editions—the content usually didn't change much, but the luxury was the selling point.

"Lastly, there's a standard edition made with modest materials, like the hundred copies we made before."

The last was the same standard edition as the hundred copies we'd made before. It was easy to produce and saved on materials, so it didn't look particularly luxurious, but the low price meant high demand.

The artisans' eyes showed admiration as they listened to my explanation of the book classifications, but soon their expressions stiffened as if they'd realized something.

"Um... Master Rupert. Just in case, what's the total number of copies we'll be making this time?"

"Hahaha, it's not much. Ten made-to-order copies, thirty hardcovers, and a hundred standard ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠copies—that comes to a hundred forty in total."

"A hundred forty by when...?"

"What's the rush? We'll just make them within a month or so!"

"NO!!!"

What do you mean, no? Come on, people. Just working six days a week, eighteen hours a day should be plenty.

This ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was a medieval world, right? There was no Labor Standards Act here.

Alright, let's get to work, laborers. Is this all just so I can live well on my own?

No, it isn't. It's so we can all succeed together.

'Hmm... That sounds like something I've heard somewhere before. Must be my imagination.'

***

"Here is the used printing press you requested. Compared to a new model, it lacks additional features, but the print quality is indistinguishable."

"Thank you for always accommodating my requests."

"Think nothing of it, Master Rupert. I'm simply eager to see your new book as soon as possible too."

Esteban, head of the Yuren Merchant Company, had obtained a printing press in fairly good condition through his Magic Tower connections and delivered it to Master Rupert of House Somerset.

He'd had a hard time thanks to a demanding customer who wanted to buy as cheaply as possible while still demanding the highest print quality, but he'd managed to secure it, so he'd saved face.

After concluding their amicable conversation, the merchant company head and the employee assisting him left the Somerset Count's House.

"Sir, even if we made a decent profit from the Cinderella picture-book deal, is this really worth so much attention?"

Absinthe, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Goldpool Valley branch manager of the Yuren Merchant Company, couldn't understand the company head's behavior.

The company head was a legendary figure who had grown the Yuren Merchant Company—once a mere small-to-midsize operation—into one of the empire's Seven Great Merchant Companies through his sharp eye for goods and bold yet level-headed investments.

For someone like him to personally run around like this just for a deal on a newly released fairy-tale book honestly seemed like a waste.

"In terms of profit, it would be far better to put the money to work elsewhere. Even selling at twice the price, it's only a hundred copies at most."

But the company head knew that too. He knew that in terms of money alone, this level of business was nothing special.

Yet the reason he had personally stepped in, procuring goods and paying such close attention, was because he had discovered a different kind of value.

"Then is there another reason?"

"It took only three days to sell the hundred copies of the Cinderella fairy-tale book."

And considering the time it took for word to spread that the Yuren Merchant Company had Cinderella, the books had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠essentially sold out the moment they arrived.

"Indeed, there were nobles who couldn't buy them because they were gone."

"Some nobles even made outrageous offers, saying they'd sign contracts for other goods if we sold them a book."

Those haughty nobles ordinarily looked down on merchants no matter how wealthy they were.

The only time their attitude turned humble was when they couldn't repay borrowed money—and now those same nobles were treating him warmly, asking him to sell them a book.

The company head couldn't help but laugh whenever he recalled that sight.

"This isn't a matter of profit. Fairy-tale books will become a strategic weapon for winning over the lofty noble circles from now on."

Watching the company head speak so confidently, Absinthe understood his point, but he couldn't shake the thought that it was a bit excessive.

But whatever—for now, the priority was humoring the clearly excited company head, so he had no choice but to smile and play along.

***

What determines the quality of a product?

It was the details.

Many things had been improved in making the new book.

For the cover leather, which I'd thought sheepskin was the best, I used white calfskin—a top-grade leather fit for the imperial family.

I also had it sewn with Arachne silk, which possessed the strength of steel but the elasticity of spiderwebs.

And that wasn't all. I reinforced every corner of the book with thin metal plates so it wouldn't be damaged even if dropped or shoved onto a bookshelf.

Beyond that, there were processes like making bookmark ribbons and applying the scent of tonpi wood to keep bugs away later.

A book made while learning processes I hadn't known before.

For an entire month, the artisans and I devoted ourselves to nothing but making books, except when eating.

The quality of the finished book was certainly not inferior to the high-end books from the capital that the company head had brought—in fact, it looked even better.

"I miss my family...."

"Even during the war, the schedule wasn't this grueling."

Tsk. The artisans' stamina was weaker than I'd thought. I'd even spent good money on potions from the Order and fed them to everyone as a welfare measure, worried they might collapse.

This other world really is the best.

Even someone whose stamina had completely flagged would snap their eyes open and get back on their feet after a single sip of a vitality potion made by the Order.

It was a potion made for exhausted soldiers on the battlefield, they said, but for laborers the workplace is the battlefield, so using it should be fine.

"Anyway, the books are all made, so now we need to sell them. I wonder if the company head handled it well."

In the case of Cinderella, it had promoted itself thanks to word of mouth from the young noble ladies Ada's age who visited our territory.

But for Snow White, I needed to select the ten nobles who would receive made-to-order copies, and beyond that, I needed to find buyers.

Actually, the Cinderella case had been the unusual one—this was the normal situation.

If demand had created supply before, now was the time to create demand through supply.

I entrusted this process to the head of the Yuren Merchant Company, and he accepted it confidently.

Now all I had to do was wait.

***

"I apologize, Count. I was able to reserve the hardcover edition for you, but the limited edition can only be distributed by lottery."

BANG!

Count Bordeaux slammed his fist on the reception room table, forgetting all noble dignity.

"Is our relationship really worth only this much? I'm not asking for anything unreasonable."

"I would like to sell it to you, Count, if it were up to me...."

"But what?"

"I can't very well pick a fight with the imperial family, can I?"

"Wh-what!"

At Esteban's words, Count Bordeaux felt chills run through his entire body.

The imperial family! That was not a name that should come out of the mouth of a mere merchant, no matter how successful the head of the Yuren Merchant Company had become lately.

"Don't tell me... Is it true that the imperial family has taken an interest in this book?"

It was hard to believe.

He himself had only tried to obtain one because his granddaughter had been pestering him lately. Why on earth would the imperial family want this "fairy-tale book"?

At the count's question, the company head simply brought his index finger to his lips and spoke quietly.

"Count, I'm in the same position, but if word of this spreads, it's hard to predict how the imperial family will react. They likely won't be pleased...."

"Ah.... I understand! I understand, so stop."

He was right. Getting tangled up in imperial affairs for no reason would hardly end well.

So the count swallowed his further questions and had no choice but to request only the hardcover reservation and the limited-edition lottery.

As Count Bordeaux, who had come all the way to the Yuren Merchant Company's main branch and shaken the reception room, left, Esteban barely managed to suppress his laughter.

"That haughty Count Bordeaux, making a personal visit here because of his granddaughter's request."

He hadn't expected the new fairy-tale book Snow White to have this much impact.

He had merely scattered word of the new release among those who had previously purchased the Cinderella fairy-tale book, yet the response had been incredibly heated.

"And more than that, I truly never expected 'that person' to take an interest in this book."

An imperial attendant who had suddenly come to see him.

And when the order came down to prepare one limited-edition book in "that person's" name, even Esteban—a merchant who had been through every hardship imaginable—felt his heart pound.

'Either way, I'll use even that to my advantage.'

They had told him to keep the fact that the imperial family had ordered one a secret, but it wouldn't stay secret anyway.

Count Bordeaux would probably spread the rumor to every noble he met, which would naturally serve as promotion.

Esteban looked forward to seeing just how high the popularity of this fairy-tale book would soar.