Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Woodblock
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The next day.
First day on the job at the Grand Duchess's palace.
Charles was already in my office, greeting me.
"Aiden, sir. Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, thanks to you, I rested comfortably."
To be honest, I hadn't slept comfortably at all.
The reason...
I didn't know a single thing about the job.
No way was it just giving advice. In novels, secretaries in this world were elites.
"Since it's your first day, focus on learning the ropes."
"Yes, that's the plan."
He handed me a thick stack of documents as he spoke.
"Today, I'll explain how to organize documents. The Grand Duchy's administration is quite systematic..."
I skimmed through the papers as Charles talked.
Huh? What was this?
Really, just blank paper with scribbles all over it, no format whatsoever.
Even reports and approval requests had no standard forms.
Just the document name, date, and author written haphazardly anywhere, and everything else in free-form prose. Hearing it was "systematic" sent chills down my spine.
How primitive was this world's administration level...
The most glaring examples that caught my eye were serious.
[Report] Greetings, Your Grace. I am Millio from the Tax Division of the Finance Ministry. Regarding the gate tax increase you mentioned before, I've checked, and even a 10% raise would secure over 100 gold in additional monthly revenue. Therefore, I recommend raising the gate tax. Today's date is Imperial Year 1224, June 18th. Also, I went to the new high-end restaurant that opened last night. The food was delicious but very expensive, and seeing all the people there, it seems there are plenty of wealthy folks. This might be a good time to consider adding extra taxes to high-end restaurants too. — Millio
Looking at this, it felt like an elementary school kid's diary.
No, even elementary kids usually put the date at the top or bottom for easy reading.
This was a report?
This was systematic?
And this was one of the better ones.
There were tons without even a date, and some labeled as reports mixed in requests for tea for the break room.
Why were they all in diary format?
Names should be aligned properly on forms, right?
The fact that they'd been handling things this way was astonishing.
Even the worst small company back home would have superiors screaming their heads off.
I was seriously considering running away now. But unlike my rotten expression, Charles calmly explained the work.
"So, for important reports, bundle them by date and file them here."
I felt dizzy watching him punch holes in dozens of sheets, wrap them front and back with book covers, and tie them tightly with string.
"This... is systematic?!"
How unproductive was this?
"Pardon? Isn't this basic?"
But he'd misunderstood;
Charles looked puzzled.
"No... I mean, managing documents like this makes it take forever to run stats or make charts, right? Finding what you need takes ages too. Why put the date in the middle? The content's more sloppy than a kid's diary! You wrote this to make me mad, didn't you?"
He looked baffled.
"What's a statistic?"
I was speechless at Charles's question.
"Ah..."
My hollow sigh echoed faintly in the office...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Luna frowned upon hearing Aiden was learning his duties normally.
'That jerk... accepting this?'
Aiden, who had no relation to her yet shamelessly mingled bodies with her, now boldly in a position to see her every day.
Thinking of him made her face scrunch up reflexively.
—I'll do my utmost to assist you, Your Grace.
She wanted to slap that smirking face saying such words, but she held back.
Ever since that day, her body had been feverish, ruining her sleep, making her even more irritated at the sight of Aiden.
The reason...
"Sigh... I don't know either."
She didn't know herself.
Objectively, Aiden had saved her life.
He'd rescued her from the crossbow danger and sacrificed his body to save her.
But the method was one she couldn't tell anyone about.
Luna stared out the window with empty eyes.
'If this got out...'
If Aiden ever slipped up...
He wouldn't survive her suitors.
As the Grand Duchess, even the Emperor couldn't touch her beyond reproach, but Aiden was a commoner.
He'd vanish without a trace.
She found him loathsome but not to the point of death, so she worried a bit.
But she shook her head soon after.
"He's not that stupid. If anything... he might be a spy."
Looking at records since he joined the guard, there were oddities galore.
If a spy, it'd be neatly packaged, but his history was bizarre from start to finish.
'How did this pass inspection?'
Aiden's citizen certificate and resume were twice or thrice as thick as others.
Full of bizarre activities, rejected and resubmitted repeatedly.
But legally, when a natural person from Vain wants citizenship, it must be granted... so it passed.
Anywhere else, no chance.
"No conclusion. Spy or not."
Regardless, Luna thought while reviewing his documents.
'Even with few people, this requires changing the law.'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Three days into my secretary appointment.
Sick of learning the job, I headed to the carpenter's shop.
Of course, I ignored Charles calling from behind.
Working in this barbaric administration would make my eyes bleed.
It was decent-sized; furniture, saws, planes, and tools everywhere, but no one in sight, so I called out loudly.
"Anyone here?"
"Who is it?"
A man in his fifties emerged from behind the counter.
He sized me up and widened his eyes.
"Huh? Isn't that Guard Captain Aiden? What brings you here?"
"Ah, you know me?"
The carpenter nodded.
"Of course. The hero who caught Don Alphao. Here for furniture?"
I shook my head at his words.
"Not that..."
I pulled paper from my document bag and showed him.
"I want this carved into a woodblock. Possible?"
He frowned at the paper.
"What's this for?"
"Printing."
The carpenter just blinked.
"Printing what?"
Such a primitive place...
"You ink this up and stamp it on paper. Bam."
After that explanation, he pondered long.
How long did I wait?
Finally, he spoke.
"I can make it. Mind if I ask why?"
"Nothing much. Just to keep my eyes from falling out."
Tired of titles scribbled anywhere, dates random, needing to read every page to understand—modern forms to speed organization.
But...
Forms are useless without mass production, so woodblocks for that.
"Well... customer asks, I make. Ready by tomorrow evening."
Surprised at the speed, I asked.
"That quick?"
"Obviously. Easier than beds or wardrobes."
I sighed in relief at his words.
Two days later, I picked up the woodblock.
"Hmm..."
"Paulownia wood—light, doesn't absorb moisture. Oil-finished, so fine unless soaked."
-Tap tap.
Definitely light.
Even a handle carved on back for easy inking and stamping.
"Excellent. Here..."
As I offered money, the carpenter grinned.
"No need. Catching those Alphao thugs helped merchants like us plenty."
A bitter smile crossed my face.
But I was drowning in debt.
Living tight until repaid.
"If you insist, thank you."
"No problem. May fortune follow your endeavors."
A famous local idiom.
So I replied in kind.
"May the gods watch over you."
After, I headed to my office to test it.
No ink tray, so poured on a plate, spread on block...
Carefully stamped on paper.
"Yes!"
The needed form printed cleanly.