Chapter 90: Paper Mill System [1]

I was very satisfied with the performance of the steamer. In just four hours, the trunk of the walnut tree had become brittle.

Because it was such a soft material, peeling it off was easy. It fell away as soon as I touched it. Now, it was time to boil the ingredients in lye water.

Rattling!

"You just need to separate the steamer pot. Like this," I instructed.

"Good. Keep going," I encouraged.

"Yep."

Originally, I had planned to make a separate pot, but with time so limited, I had no choice but to do it this way. Later, Theo would create the proper tools for the process.

After everything was boiled, the fibers needed to be mixed with mulberry leaves.

However, there wasn't any slush here, so I decided it was okay to use wheat flour paste instead.

All I needed was adhesive to hold the fibers in place. After that, the paper would be hung with a curtain, stacked, and dried. The final step would involve pounding the slightly dry paper.

The purpose of this was to make the fibers tight and smooth. Completing the task required an enormous amount of work.

"It's okay," I thought. "There's an abundance of labor here."

The land and materials were also sufficient. The vacant lot in Midias provided plenty of walnut trees.

"Mr. Paul," I called.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Paul responded.

"Please take care of the paper mill as well. We won't be able to make fabric for the time being, so the workload won't be too much."

"Would that be possible? My body is already feeling achy," Paul said, rubbing his neck.

Paul was very dedicated to his work and studies.

Because he had entered school late, his academic achievements weren't as strong as others'.

So, he tried to make up for what he lacked with his own efforts. His bloodshot eyes suggested he had studied all night again.

"Don't push yourself too hard. If the factory manager gets hurt, it will be more damaging," I cautioned.

"Ugh! Your Majesty…" Paul immediately burst into tears.

The problem was that heartwarming words often came out of my mouth without much thought. Hey, mister! Now is not the time to cry.

"Okay, we don't have time. We have to make a prototype today."

"Yes!" Paul exclaimed, straightening up.

The papermaking process was currently in its final stages. It was time to pound the paper, and I introduced a treadle mill into the process.

Its form was simple, and it worked by just stepping on it.

'Later, I should make something like a millstone,' I mused. Searᴄh the Novelƒire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Using the power of horses and oxen would make the work much faster and easier. Since we didn't have motors, this was the only way to do it.

*Crunch! Boom!

Crunch! Boom!*

The employees took turns stamping their feet on the step.

After pounding the paper countless times, the finished product finally emerged.

Although the edges were jagged, the inside was surprisingly smooth and sparkling white. It was of better quality than any paper I'd ever seen.

"Wow! We made this?"

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"I've never seen anything like it before."

"That's right. The book I read a few years ago was yellow and tattered."

"Have you forgotten who designed it? Of course, it has to be better than anything else," I remarked with a hint of pride.

The employees couldn't help but be amazed when they touched the paper.

Even though they weren't very familiar with writing, they reacted like that.

Imagine those who wrestle with paperwork all day—government officials, tax collectors, merchants, novelists, painters.

There would be no shortage of people who wanted good paper.

This paper would probably create a huge demand.

How long could we continue writing on parchment or papyrus when this paper was clean and free of blemishes?

It was time to set the standards now.

In Earth, the most commonly used copy paper was A4, a four-fold cut of the battery.

I was planning to use a similar method here.

I set the aspect ratio of the paper-cutting machine to 4:3. If we cut it four times like this, it would be about the same size as an A4 sheet of paper.

Of course, it wouldn't be exactly the same.

'I miss the metric system so much,' I thought with a sigh.

This was a medieval dark fantasy world.

There was no proper system of weights and measures. The rulers determined lengths based on things like the length of the king's feet or arms.

I wanted to create an unchanging scale, even if it was just for myself, but it wasn't of much use. How was this any different from the arbitrary units of length thrown around everywhere?

Unless I became the emperor and decided on the weights and measures...

'Ah, I shouldn't keep thinking like this,' I reminded myself, shaking my head vigorously as I looked at the finished paper.

Honestly, I didn't expect success from the beginning.

The environment here was quite different from earth, but perhaps because the ingredients were good, the results were very satisfactory.

"Please cut the edges and make four cuts," I instructed.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the workers responded.

They placed the paper into the mold and handled the saw carefully, worried they might miss the mark. But since I was cutting it while it was still fixed, the probability of failure was low—as long as I was careful.

"I'll cut it in one go with proper force," I assured them.

"Yep!"

*Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!*

I heard a satisfying sound, and soon a finished product the size of an A4 piece of paper popped out. I tried rubbing my fingers against several sheets of paper.

The elasticity was much better than I expected.

Could it be comparable to modern copy paper? Of course, it had a soft texture, unlike chemical pulp. It was made traditionally, but where else could you find something like this?

I picked up the finished copy with a satisfied expression.

'Finally, It's ready.'