Chapter 84: Commercialization and... Becoming an Idol
Joy was all well and good, but there were matters far more pressing than naming the paper—specifically, how to rapidly commercialize this new invention.
In other words: how to start making money with this thing as quickly as possible.
"Next, our primary objective is to bring in customers," Egger signaled for everyone to quiet down. "First, let's calculate: once the irregular, useless edges are trimmed from a sheet of raw paper, how many rectangles of identical size and shape can it be divided into?"
Finding the answer wasn't difficult; it just required a few folds. Egger did it himself and quickly reached a conclusion: one raw sheet, minimizing waste, could be divided into six pieces slightly larger than A4 paper. Considering the size of the printing plates and ergonomic factors for books, those should actually be halved again. That meant one raw sheet would ultimately yield twelve appropriately sized, practical pages that could be printed and bound into books or various pamphlets.
"As of now, how many of these raw sheets can the workshop produce in a day?"
Nina licked her lips, thinking for a few seconds. "It's hard to say. From raw materials to the final paper, some steps require time for waiting. Adding lime and other powders or using fire to bake it at the end can speed things up. If we could hire more people... and buy more equipment to keep every stage of the process in a continuous cycle, it would be much faster."
"Then expand as quickly as possible. Try to hire locals or people you know well..." Egger considered this and suggested: "Divide the papermaking into several independent stages. Specific workers will only be responsible for specific steps in an assembly line. This will not only speed up production but also ensure that if someone wants to steal the technology, they would have to spend a fortune to bribe the workers of an entire production line. A move that massive cannot be done in secret."
"An assembly line?" Nina bit her lip again, thinking it over, and quickly grasped Egger's meaning.
"And what can you do if someone poaches them out in the open?" Tyrion sighed and shrugged. "This isn't an overly complex craft. Once the scale of production grows, you won't be able to stop others from learning the art of papermaking."
"True, so we must act fast. Before competitors emerge, we need to establish partnerships with as many big donors as possible to neutralize potential threats and seize as much of the market as we can." Egger nodded. In a world without the concept of intellectual property, dreaming of keeping the whole cake to himself was pure fantasy; he wouldn't waste effort on such futilities. "Anyway, gather the existing paper first and print a copy of The Seven-Pointed Star. Show it to the Faith, bookstores, and grocers to secure some orders. Tyrion, you're good at this—I'll leave it to you."
"What makes you think I'm good at this!?"
"You're certainly better at it than I am." Egger gave a mischievous smile. He wasn't sure of Tyrion's actual business acumen, but simply being a member of House Lannister was a massive plus. Using every man to his talent and every resource to its fullest—squeezing everyone's ability and influence—was crucial in the startup phase of a venture. "Of course, hiring more staff to lighten the load must also be put on the agenda. Don't stay idle before the big orders are finalized; keep working while researching ways to improve the process. All the paper produced should be sent to the press to be turned into calendars. If someone wants them, sell them wholesale; if not, bring them to me at the Night's Watch office to use as giveaways. I'll give a monthly calendar to every visitor, a full year to anyone who buys bonds, and if they invest, the Night's Watch will provide their household calendars in perpetuity."
"A fine idea." Tyrion praised the suggestion. Calendars weren't Egger's invention, of course. In a world with irregular seasons, major festivals and key dates—referred to as the Royal Calendar—were calculated by the Citadel, reviewed by the Iron Throne, and released to the public. Paper had long been a luxury item, so things made from it were naturally uncommon. Officials and wealthy families who needed precise timing kept them, but ordinary city dwellers usually shared one per several households or even an entire street. In the poorer countryside, a single copy might serve a whole village.
As a non-essential luxury, the image of a paper calendar as something rare and precious was deeply ingrained in the common mind, let alone a neat and beautiful printed one. Using it as a gift was respectable, low-cost, and perfectly appropriate.
In this workshop, Egger always found himself naturally becoming the leader and decision-maker, and more importantly, no one seemed to object. Having assigned the tasks, he remembered his own role. "Of course, I won't be doing nothing. I'll find some people who can write stories and compose popular adventure novels. When our papermaking and printing capacities have a surplus, we'll start printing books."
"Master, you're always telling me about your adventures before you came to Westeros. Those stories alone are enough to fill a book."
Egger was about to habitually pat her head and tell her not to interrupt when a thought struck him: Wait, why didn't I think of that? The girl was incredibly sharp. To ensure there were few flaws when he misled her, he had actually prepared drafts for his tall tales, jotting down any story he remembered in a notebook as a memo. And what he remembered were all world-class adventure novels, if he organized these brilliant outlines and handed them to a novelist or bard to flesh out, polish, and merge into a single adventure biography of himself—acting as a sort of transdimensional plagiarist and imposter... what kind of legendary hero would that create?
Whether people believed it or not was secondary; the sales would definitely be good. These were adventure stories that had stood the test of time, suitable for all ages and easy to understand. They could be enjoyed without any prior experience or literary background.
Improving the public image of the Night's Watch was a long and arduous road. Perhaps he should step up and become an idol? He gave Arya a rare nod of affirmation for her timely interjection. "Mhm, great idea."
Tyrion's eyes darted around, and he suddenly leaned toward Egger, lowering his voice. "Don't forget one more thing. It might be a bit... shameful, but the masses love it."
"What is it!?" The whisper didn't escape Arya's ears.
...
Given the topic of discussion and the mention of something "shameful yet popular," it could only be erotic books. It was actually a good idea; Westeros likely didn't have any censorship bureaus. Egger chuckled inwardly and quietly reassured the girl: "Don't worry, I'll get you a copy to look at when the time comes."
Would it corrupt the child? Ned didn't have the time to look after his daughter and let her hang around Egger all day; Egger was doing him a favor by not charging for daycare and tuition, so why bother with such trivialities?
The discussion was mostly concluded. Now, as long as everyone performed their duties and executed the plan, this game of money would officially begin.
"One last thing: you two siblings, I promised a reward." Egger remembered his pledge, which was now the version agreed upon with Tyrion. "Last time I mentioned giving you one-tenth of the paper mill's profits, but that was a bit vague. Let's do this instead: half of this workshop belongs to you—not just the profits, but half of the entire entity. When we have more capital in a few days, I'll find a way to buy this courtyard as your permanent site for process improvement and living. Consider it the return on your investment of skill and merit. I will formalize your ownership of this half in writing. In exchange, you are not permitted to quit or set up your own shop without my permission, and any new ideas or inventions must be reported to the Night's Watch first. If you have no objections, one of you should come back with me to the office later today so we can sign the agreement."
"Thank you, my lord!" The brother, Neil, finally reacted quickly for once. "Let... let Nina go to sign the agreement."
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