Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 651

"Please. With this, work efficiency will increase severalfold—no, tenfold. I beg you, let me have it."

Emma's words poured out in a torrential rush.

Her intensity was so unlike her usual self that I could only force a strained laugh, "Ah, haha..."

Yet, her claim that work efficiency would jump several or even ten times wasn't necessarily an exaggeration.

Currently, paperwork was mostly done by hand, and even commonly used document templates were merely printed using wooden plates.

I often drafted proposals and materials myself, but the time and effort required were immense, and it had been a constant headache early on.

After regaining my memories and becoming involved in various ventures, I enlisted the help of servants like Galun, as well as Diana and Capella.

For non-confidential matters, even the Baldia family members pitched in, which made things easier—but the fundamental inefficiency of paperwork remained unresolved.

Still, within the Baldia territory, we managed somehow.

But once I started traveling to the Baldia residence in the imperial capital and business with the empire's nobility took off, administrative tasks exploded.

It became clear that a fundamental overhaul of paperwork efficiency was necessary.

A computer would be ideal, but that was impossible here. So, how could we improve things?

While agonizing over this, I recalled the "typewriter" from my past life.

At first, I thought it might be easy to recreate since it didn’t use electronic components.

But in reality, it took an enormous amount of time before Ellen could complete the device she dubbed the "Letter-Pressing Machine."

Though it didn’t use electronics, creating a mechanism that was user-friendly, precise, and capable of quickly transcribing dictation required far more ingenuity than I’d imagined.

Realizing this wasn’t something I could make alone, I formed "Project T," a development team led by Ellen and Alex, heads of the Second Knight Order’s Technical Development Workshop, along with talented individuals like Tonage and Thomas.

I instructed them on the development.

Based on my knowledge, Ellen and Alex collaborated on blueprints while Tonage and Thomas crafted delicate parts using power tools and hand polishing.

There were times when they scrapped designs and parts, restarting from the conceptual stage.

Disagreements between designers and engineers sometimes escalated into heated debates.

But each time, they reaffirmed their shared goal and reignited their passion.

With each prototype, they had people like Chris and other clerical staff test it, gathering feedback on usability and improvements.

After countless trials and failures—around fifty-two attempts—they finally arrived at the current design.

The "Letter-Pressing Machine," or typewriter, was light enough for an adult to carry with both hands.

The keys were designed to require minimal force, allowing prolonged use.

Many other innovations were incorporated—but one problem remained.

"Anyway, I’m glad you like it. But we can’t sell it yet."

"R-Really...?"

When I cleared my throat and broke the news, Emma’s ears drooped, her shoulders slumping in disappointment.

"Actually, before selling it, I want you to test something with this machine."

"Test something?"

Emma tilted her head quizzically, and I nodded with a faint smile.

"I’d like you to try using it in actual Christie Trading Company operations. We’ve already started testing it in the Baldia family’s clerical work, but I’d like feedback from the trading company too. I’ll lend you two trial units—if you like them, you can keep using them."

"Wha—?! Really?"

"Lord Lidd. This is the first I’ve heard of lending trial units. Even if you ask for them back later, I absolutely won’t return them. Are you sure about this?"

Emma’s eyes widened in delight, while Chris, equally excited, stepped forward eagerly.

"Y-Yeah. I planned to explain this today. Also, I want you to understand the concept of 'genuine parts' for the Letter-Pressing Machine beforehand."

"Genuine parts?"

The unfamiliar term made Emma and Chris exchange glances.

I glanced sideways at Ellen, who stepped forward with a cough.

"Allow me to explain. The Letter-Pressing Machine requires paper of a specific size and minimum quality. It also uses a consumable ink-soaked ribbon called an 'ink ribbon.' To prevent malfunctions, please use only Baldia-made 'paper' and 'ink ribbons.'"

Ellen flashed a bright smile, and Chris gasped, covering her mouth.

"So, you’re anticipating counterfeit consumables once the machine hits the market?"

"That’s part of it. But we also plan to release it at a premium price, with after-sales support like cosmetics. If counterfeit consumables flood the market and cause frequent breakdowns, it’d be a nightmare to handle repairs. So, we’re making it clear upfront that we can’t support non-genuine parts."

Popular, high-priced products inevitably invite knockoffs—that’s just how the world works.

But in this world, Baldia’s technological prowess is unmatched.

If counterfeit consumables caused widespread malfunctions, it’d be disastrous.

However, if we establish that only genuine parts qualify for after-sales support, the dynamic changes.

Of course, if counterfeiters match Baldia’s quality, this strategy won’t hold.

But given Baldia’s current technological lead, it’s a viable precaution.

"Um, Lord Lidd. I understand the ink ribbon, but... surely you don’t mean the 'paper' is also a genuine part?"

Emma hesitantly spoke up, and I grinned.

"Sharp as ever, Emma. That’s right—Baldia has started paper production too."

"B-But if we start making paper, won’t Astoria and Toga protest?"

"Maybe. But there’s no rule that only those two nations can produce paper. Don’t worry—my father is aware of this."

Emma looked stunned.

In this world, most paper was produced by the elven nation of Astoria and the theocracy of Toga.

Both nations guarded their techniques to prevent leaks.

Still, word inevitably spreads.

Rumors suggested their technology had been leaking for years.

Yet, no other nation had succeeded in mass production.

I initially wondered if the two nations exerted pressure, but the real issue seemed to be geographical: other regions lacked the resources and infrastructure for mass production.

Baldia, however, could leverage "tree-attribute magic" to secure materials—magic opened many doors.

Other nations might call it "cheating," but Baldia had invested heavily in magical education.

We had no reason to feel guilty.

"Besides, we’ve prepared a justification for Astoria and Toga, just in case."

"A justification... May I ask what it is?"

"Of course."

I nodded to Emma’s question and picked up a sheet of paper from the desk.

"This uses different materials from conventional paper."

"Eh...?"

The unexpected answer made Emma blink in surprise.