Isekai Nonbiri Nouka

The businesses that Versa and her friends had been advancing.

Besides the papermaking and printing businesses that were transferred to me, there were still more.

There was publishing, which collects, edits, and sells book manuscripts, and a distribution business specialized in books.

They were thoroughly focused on book-related ventures.

With this flow, I thought there might already be bookstores, but bookstores are still only at the planning stage.

If they handle only books, it is unclear whether the income would be sufficient.

Books are in demand, but they are not cheap.

If printing becomes fully established and the number of books increases, prices might drop and customers may increase, but once prices fall, it becomes difficult for stores to secure enough revenue.

Very few people buy multiple copies of the same book.

Bookstores will come after the variety of books increases.

So for now, they are proceeding by consigning book sales to retail shops and restaurants.

As for the book-only distribution business, it seems to handle securing those consignment partners and delivering the products.

They have already secured several consignment locations.

The drive of Versa’s friends is impressive.

「That’s true」

The one agreeing with my admiration is the acting representative of the transferred papermaking and printing businesses.

One of the early members of the civil servant girls.

Her name is Eliza.

As acting representative, Eliza is wearing calm, librarian-like clothing.

She is even wearing glasses, despite not having poor eyesight.

「Starting with appearances is important for anything. It also makes it easier for those around us to understand what kind of work we do」

I see.

-0-

Eliza Pickettend.

TN: エライザ＝ピケットエンド(Eraiza Pikettoendo) It’s more of ‘piket end’ but let’s go with pikettend.

She is a daughter of the Viscount Pickettend family.

The head of the Pickettend Viscount family has served as the Chief Librarian of the Demon King’s Kingdom for generations and is apparently called the Custodian of the Collection.

That is why she volunteered to act as the representative for the papermaking and printing businesses this time.

「Yes. I put myself forward for I thought my useless family will be finally of use.」

…Useless?

「Yes」

Your family?

「Yes」

But you are the Custodian of the Collection, right?

「Do you know what the Demon King’s Kingdom’s collection is like?」

No, I do not, but…

Aren’t there a lot of valuable books?

「Basically, the Demon King’s Kingdom’s collection consists of diaries written by the Demon King and the nobility」

Diaries?

「Yes」

Um, then that would make them important historical records.

「If what is written in the diaries were true, then yes」

?

「It is a headache-inducing matter, but…They do not write down anything that would inconvenient them」

Ah, I see.

They would not write about battles they lost.

「That would still be the lesser case」

The lesser?

「Yes. They include fiction」

Ah, like turning a story about defeating a hundred enemies into a thousand?

「If it were only on that scale, I could forgive it」

So, it is not that scale.

「If everything written were reality, fragments of a shattered moon would be floating in the sky, and the continent would have been reduced to powder and sunk into the sea」

That is… grand.

So, someone wrote that they shattered the moon.

「That was a Demon King from quite a long time ago」

…….

「The one who pulverized the continent was a different Demon King」

…….

「According to the records, successive generals and nobles defeated tens of thousands of ancient devils, and the Demon King’s army won every battle and conquered a million human nations」

At that point, it is less a diary and more a story.

Oh, then why not just enjoy it in that way?

「Village Chief. This is a sad reality, but being able to write does not necessarily mean one has literary talent」

Uh, well…

「Many of them simply reuse the phrasing and writing styles of those who write well…」

Ah, I see…

「I have seen many books with the same content, only with the names of the characters changed」

Well, I suppose that is how it turns out.

「Then what else could you call a job managing books like that, if not useless?」

Wait, wait.

It cannot be only books like that, right?

There might be books with useful information written in them.

「Books with useful information are owned privately. They are not part of the Demon King’s Kingdom’s collection. Even the current Demon King keeps important books with the academy principal」

…………

Um, well, your family’s cooperation can be secured, right?

「Yes. They were pleased that their knowledge about books, such as storage methods, could be useful」

That is good to hear.

But you understand this, right? Be careful with compensation involving family members.

「Of course. Arrangements have been made so that I cannot be involved with compensation for relatives」

Sorry, but I am counting on you.

「Not at all. If even suspicion is raised, my life would be in danger」

Huh?

「It is a business represented by you, Village Chief. If suspicions arise that excessive compensation is being given unfairly to relatives, Frau-sama will kill me」

I do not think Frau is that extreme.

「That is because you do not know Frau-sama from her academy days」

That is true. I do not.

「Frau-sama was the one who kept Yuri-sama’s circle in order」

I have heard that before.

「Around Yuri-sama were the infamous young ladies, Crakasse-sama of the Count Pugyaru family, Rosalind-sama of the Count Glitch family, Rashaashi-sama of the Count Droir family, and Roaju-sama of the Viscount Mammonroz family.」

Infamous…

「She was the one who commanded them」

So she had to be somewhat extreme to manage them.

「Yes」

Were you also one of those infamous young ladies?

「…………I cut ties with my useless family and had no choice but to manage on my own. But that is all in the past!」

Y-yes, that is in the past.

「I will forget the past and live with all my strength in the present! So, Village Chief. About the matter I have been asking you about for quite some time」

Ah…

The matter Eliza has been asking me about.

It is the naming of the businesses.

In fact, Versa’s new ventures were all named after Versa.

That is, Versa Paper, Versa Printing, Versa Publishing, Versa Distribution, and also Versa Bookstore.

There is nothing inherently wrong with that name, but because of the kind of books Versa writes, the name Versa is taken to mean Versa’s tastes.

In other words, it would be taken to mean that paper, printing, publishing, distribution, and the bookstore all handle only books that cater to Versa’s tastes.

That would not be good.

A name change is necessary.

Versa agreed, and after discussions among the parties involved, it was decided to rename them Delzen.

That means Versa Publishing became Delzen Publishing.

Versa Distribution became Delzen Distribution.

Versa Bookstore became Delzen Bookstore.

What remains are Versa Paper and Versa Printing, which were transferred to me.

It seems I have to come up with new names for these two.

……

Would Eliza’s name not work?

Eliza Paper, or Eliza Printing.

「I cannot possibly take a name from Versa-sama for someone like myself」

Someone like yourself, you do not need to belittle yourself that much.

「Let me put it another way. Versa-sama’s friends would not approve」

I see.

Hmm……

「It would be the greatest honor to receive your name, Village Chief」

Hiraku Paper, or Machio Printing.

I suggested Eliza Paper, but putting an individual’s name up front feels a bit much.

It is not that it would be unacceptable.

Well, let us simply match Versa and the others.

Delzen Paper, Delzen Printing.

Yes, if we can get permission from Versa and the others, we will go with that.

「Would that not cause misunderstandings? People outside may think it is a group」

In practice, it is the same, right?

「……That is true」

If we cannot get permission from Versa and the others, we will think about it again.

「Understood」

-0-

A few days later.

We were able to get approval without issue, so the business names became Delzen Paper and Delzen Printing.

By the way, the name Delzen comes from the place where Versa and ancestor-san met long ago.

Ancestor-san had completely forgotten it, though.

-0-

Eliza: 「I am not the classics loving civil servant girl. That is a different person」

Classics loving civil servant girl: 「If anything, I am more interested in publishing」

-0-

Versa: 「If you forgot about me but remembered Delzen, that would be a bigger problem」

Ancestor-san「Yeah, yeah」

Versa: 「…………」

Ancestor-san: 「Hm?」