The Demon King Seems to Conquer the World

Chapter 177: (Self Edited) Propaganda Leaflet

Riding on White Sunset, I descended to the main residence of the Hou Household in Karakumo, where a man, the designated birdcage attendant, hurried over.

“Your Excellency Rook! You are safe after all!” (Yorun)

The man was a commoner named Yorun, a face I recognized. Or rather, during a period of my childhood, we had worked together on a ranch.

After the previous birdcage attendant from the Gouku era retired due to old age, Rook brought him in. Although he couldn’t ride an Eagle, Yorun, who got along best with Rook during their ranch days, was excellent at ground care and trustworthy.

“Yuri-sama.” (Yorun)

Seeing me on a Eagle, Yorun bowed deeply. As the name suggests, White Sunset had a slightly whiter appearance compared to other Eagles, making it somewhat distinctive. Judging from my descent, he must have thought I was Rook.

I removed the restraints and dismounted from the Eagle.

“As rumored, His Excellency Rook…” (Yorun)

“Father was poisoned and passed away.” (Yuri)

“I see…”

“White Sunset was handed over to me by Father on his deathbed. We fled from the royal castle on this one with Princess Carol. Can you check for any problem?” (Yuri)

“Yes, of course…” (Yorun)

Yorun, tears streaming down his face, took the reins I held and gently led the bereaved Eagle away.

” Yuri-sama! Is it true that His Excellency Rook has passed away?” (??)

The next person to approach was one of the old maids who had been at the Hou Household residence for a long time.

“It is. I’m in a bit of a hurry, but could you prepare a change of clothes for riding the Eagle?” (Yuri)

I was still wearing leather armor. Underneath, I had on chainmail, which was not suitable for riding an Eagle. Naturally, it would take some time for the feudal lords to arrive at Karakumo, so I wanted to attend to other matters during that time.

“Yes, yes… I will prepare it right away…” (??)

The old maid wiped her tears with her sleeve as she began to walk.

‘I didn’t know much about him since I rarely came this way, but Rook was clearly well-liked…’

Walking along, I entered the main residence.

When I previously visited, there was a tense yet lively atmosphere typical of a warrior household’s estate, but now everyone seemed uneasy, with an air of restlessness about them. Military officers, officials, maids, and others glanced at me indirectly. It seemed like rumors were swirling around.

“Please wait here.” (??)

In the room where I was instructed to wait, the elderly maid entered the adjacent closet room and returned carrying several garments. She laid out a complete set of clothing from head to toe on the desk.

“What do you think?” (??)

The tailoring was impeccable, though perhaps a bit too fine for practical use.

“Yes, this will do.” (Yuri)

I received assistance in changing into the clothes and quickly dressed. They seemed to have originally belonged to Rook, as they were slightly oversized, but they fit well enough.

“I’ll return by tomorrow. Keep me informed when the feudal lords arrive.” (Yuri)

—

After switching to a different Eagle from White Sunset and arriving in Suomi, the sky had begun to darken. I landed the Eagle on the rooftop of an office at the port and secured it in an Eagle stable facility that seemed largely unused except by myself.

It was a rudimentary perch-like structure with a large branch where an Eagle could perch, equipped with a carabiner-like tool to hold the reins. Ideally, restraining an Eagle like tying a dog with a rope collar wasn’t recommended, but constructing a full-scale birdcage wasn’t practical. A birdcage needed not just enough space for the Eagle’s body, but also room for it to spread its wings without risk of injury, requiring a floor area of at least five square meters and a height of about six meters.

Descending the stairs, I saw that the office employees were about to leave.

“Good evening, Chairman?” (Stasha)

Bowing respectfully was a clerk named Stasha-san. She looked young, but she was a widow with children. Apparently, news hadn’t reached Suomi yet, as she was as cheerful as usual.

“Is anyone next door? Have they already gone home?” (Yuri)

“Are you referring to the printing press? Let me see…” (Stasha)

I opened the office’s front door and quickly headed towards the neighboring building. This was where the printing press was located. Here, they printed the sacred texts of letterpress printing using primitive letterpress machines. When I opened the door to the printing press, a strong smell of ink hit me. Letterpress ink, made from soot and resin, had a distinct odor reminiscent of ink mixed with resin.

The employees, tirelessly producing the scriptures of the heathens using new techniques day and night, were also preparing to wrap up for the day.

“Chairman!? What brings you here at this hour…” (??)

The man, who acted as the director or supervisor of the printing press, spoke.

The sun was nearly set, and the printing press was quite dark inside. Without electric lights, it wasn’t typical to work at night.

“Wait for me to leave. We’re working overtime today.” (Yuri)

“Overtime!?” (??)

“I’ve managed about half of the Shan type. Start printing them now.” (Yuri)

“Um, it’s nighttime…” (??)

“I’ll pay a gold coin per person for overtime. Get as many candles as you can and set them up everywhere for a night of work. Can you handle that?” (Yuri)

“Yes, of course…” (??)

I turned around and addressed Stasha-san, who had followed me.

“Stasha-san, I’ll compensate you for overtime too. Sorry, but buy as many candles as you can. If the shops are closed, use the Hou Household’s name to have them opened.” (Yuri)

“Um, alright…” (Stasha)

“Quickly now. There’s money in the safe, right?” (Yuri)

“Yes, there is.” (Stasha)

With that, Stasha-san hurried off.

“Is there some urgent matter? Paying a gold coin per person doesn’t seem worth it…” (??)

“Her Majesty the Queen passed away yesterday. This is related.”

“What!?” (??)

He was clearly taken aback.

“Well, it’s quite important. I’ll go write the manuscript… How far along are we with the Shan type?” (Yuri)

“They’ve been making the most frequently used characters… but we’re still far from finished.” (??)

“Where’s the type shelf? Give me some memo and pencils.”

I lit a lamp while holding paper and pencils, then headed towards the type shelf.

Looking at the type shelf, it was indeed quite sparse. However, as mentioned, the most commonly used characters seemed to be there, so we might manage. Nevertheless, I was incredibly sleepy.

‘Come to think of it, I haven’t slept in quite a while… I wonder if I can write properly.’

—

Imperial Calendar Year 2320, March 14th, Wednesday, Royal Capital Shibyaku, Royal Castle

Yuri Hou of the Hou Household and Carol of the Full Chartres Royal Family have been betrothed, and a meeting between the two families was convened. During this gathering, poison was added into the wine, and it was attempted to eliminate both families.

As a result of this scheme, Her Majesty Queen Simonei was poisoned and passed away. Rook Hou, head of the Hou Household, and Suzuya Hou, his wife, also died after drinking the poison.

Yuri Hou did not consume the poisoned wine and remains alive, as does Princess Carol. Upon witnessing this, a legion of Witch soldiers began to infiltrate the royal capital and attacked the castle.

Fleeing the castle and departing the capital, the two embarked on a pursuit of the soldiers responsible. It is evident that all of these actions were orchestrated by the Witches.

Carya Full Chartres, having murdered her parents, is now known as a traitor. The Hou family refuses to support her, not recognizing her as the sole heir to the throne. Those who harbor traitorous intent will face the wrath of the Hou Household and their fear.

—

‘Is this sufficient?’

“Remove the typesetting of the holy scripture at once. Then, create multiple sets and arrange them side by side. Print as many as you can on a single sheet of paper.” (Yuri)

‘Since typefaces are mass-produced with molds, there may not be various types of characters, but there should be plenty of each.’

“Huh? Are we making a book?” (??)

‘What are you talking about?’

“On the contrary, cut everything into small pieces and scatter them from a hawk over the skies of the capital. Do it over other cities too. You know, like distributing leaflets.” (Yuri)

‘The literacy rate in this country isn’t particularly high, but there are quite a few readers in urban areas. At the very least, it should help suppress rumors.’

“Huh, for free?” (??)

‘Of course it’s free. It seems there’s a discomfort with distributing paper for free. It’s quite expensive, I know.’

“It’s fine. In times like these, it’s best not to be stingy.” (Yuri)

“Um…” (??)

“Alright, can you handle the rest?” (Yuri)

“Huh?” (??)

“I’d like to help, but ever since last night…” (Yuri)

I waved the memo I had.

“I’ve been up all night and haven’t slept. I feel like I’m about to collapse. Can I ask you for one more thing?” (Yuri)

Feeling dizzy, I was on the verge of fainting.

“Of course. It might be better to use the office since it’s quieter.” (??)

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” (Yuri)

I staggered towards the office and lay down on the bench in the waiting area near the entrance. The moment I released the grip that was keeping me conscious, my awareness faded away.

—

“Yuri-sama, Yuri-sama!” (??)

I woke up to a loud noise, and sunlight was shining outside. It felt like I had been sleeping for quite a while. With sleepy eyes, I looked at the pillar clock installed in the office. It was 7:00 AM.

‘Considering the time of sunset, I had slept for about ten hours…’

I heard voices coming from outside the front door. When I tried to open the door with my sleepy eyes, it was locked. Perhaps Stasha-san had locked it on her way out. I unlocked the gate from the inside and opened the door, finding Jano Eck kneeling there. Jano Eck, the nephew of Rakune who caused a stir at the Gouku’s successor meeting a long time ago, now represented the disgraced Eck Household as the local magistrate.

“What’s the matter?” (Yuri)

‘Well, I could guess.’

“I beg you to let me join the battle against the Witches! Please, let me fight alongside you!” (Jano)

He pleaded while prostrating himself on the cobblestones.

“Sorry, but that’s not possible.” (Yuri)

“Please!” (Jano)

Even hitting his head on the stones didn’t change the fact that it was impossible. Due to my business background, I was quite familiar with the situation in Suomi, but this man was among the worst as a local governor.

Originally, this land was the Eck Household’s fief, but after that incident, the Hou Household took over. The local governor position became a representation of the Hou family.

First off, he was not knowledgeable about economics, showed favoritism towards relatives in legal matters, and favored those who brought bribes while neglecting his duties. He had no understanding of how such behavior affected his territory management. He was like a Knight’s bad side refined. He causes trouble with the villagers at every opportunity, and the townspeople come all the way to petition the Hou Household at this company, relying on me, the heir apparent of the Hou Household. It was truly unbearable.

Even during Rook’s time, he had been asked multiple times, “Can’t you punish him?” but ultimately nothing was done. Thanks to someone starting business in Suomi, the local economy exploded with activity, and the governance performance appeared exceptionally good on the surface. Reinstating such a scoundrel would only lead to trouble. This guy epitomized the negative aspects of being a Knight. Moreover, Suomi had become a major economic city because of me, so there was no way I could allow his reinstatement.

“Nevertheless, the battle is about to begin. As you know, without establishing your own Knight Order and training soldiers, you cannot treat your forces like your own limbs. Until you are reinstated and establish your own army, you cannot join the battlefield.” (Yuri)

I lied.

‘The first thing I’ll do when I become the head of the Hou Household is to find fault and fire this guy. Saying that would only add to the already overwhelming problems.’

I wanted to avoid that, and I wanted to deal with him after this war settles down.

“Please, somehow…” (Jano)

Jano Ek rubbed his head against the cobblestones again.

‘He must be desperate too. I could feel that. But he’s too malevolent inside.’

“I’m sorry, but time is short. I intend for you to work to your heart’s content someday. Please endure for now.” (Yuri)

I said that and turned away from Jano Ek, heading towards the printing shop next door.

“Uh, Chairman, here are the completed copies for now…” (??)

The supervisor, looking surprised by the situation, handed me a cloth bag.

“This is a sample.” (??)

Looking inside, it was tightly packed with bundles of paper tied with twine.

“Ah, this is a sample.” (??)

Looking at the handed leaflet, it was quite well done. Each character was neatly inked into the engraved grooves typical of letterpress printing.

“Thank you. Stop after printing about three times this amount and return to the scriptures.” (Yuri)

“Understood.” (??)

“Stasha-san.” (Yuri)

Stasha seemed perplexed by the abnormal situation of a nobleman continuously kneeling nearby.

“Come here.” (Yuri)

I motioned as I returned to the office, and on the back of the sample leaflet I had received earlier, I wrote a message.

“When is the Republic of Albio ‘s ship returning to port?” (Yuri)

“In three days, but…” (Stasha)

‘Port return dates are unreliable, usually varying by a few days before or after the scheduled time, but it seemed to be coming soon enough.’

I went behind the counter, grabbed a familiar envelope, inserted the flyer, sealed it with a wax seal using a lighter.

“Please have this loaded onto the ship.” (Yuri)

“Yes, understood.” (Stasha)

Handing the envelope to Stasha, I then ascended to the rooftop of the office and took off towards Karakumo.