Chapter 61: Business Opportunity
As evening fell, the work continued. Aeg and Tyrion huddled in a room aglow with the light of a dozen candles, embarking on the creation of the world's first Night's Watch bond.
A stack of the finest sheepskin parchment available in King's Landing lay at the edge of the table. With the bond's content finalized, they set to work. Despite Tyrion's less-than-flattering appearance, his handwriting was exquisite. Aeg, having relied on computers before his time travel. There was no choice but to entrust the task of penning the first bond to Tyrion. The dwarf copied each word and sentence meticulously from the draft. a level of seriousness he had never shown in writing to his father, Tywin.
"Whew." After completing the first bond, Tyrion carefully lifted the paper by the corners, blew on it to dry the ink, and set it aside. He then took the second sheet and positioned it in front of him. He had been back in King's Landing for a week without visiting a brothel once, a fact he found hard to believe. This feeling of purpose, of no longer feeling empty inside, was truly wonderful.
Aeg sat opposite, revising a draft covered in writing, never quite satisfied. The bond's limited space made it impossible to include all agreements and rules. He planned to organize the information into a poster-like notice to be displayed on the wall of the Night's Watch office, offering clearer explanations to visitors.
"Just write a couple to get the idea across, then rest early. The identical content on the bonds isn't the key; the signatures, seals, and subsequent anti-counterfeiting measures are the key."
"True, I'll hire someone to do this tomorrow."
"Hire someone to copy the bonds? Why go through the trouble, just find a shop to print." Aeg's words trailed off as he realized he didn't know the Westerosi term for "printing."
"What were you going to say?"
Aeg struggled to convey the concept of printing to Tyrion and finally resorted to an analogy: "Imagine making the bond's content into a super-sized seal and stamping it onto each sheet of paper."
"That's brilliant, how did I not think of that!" Tyrion's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Is this another technology? The people of Caina are truly ingenious. Sometimes I'm glad there's a Sunset Sea between us."
"Does Westeros not have this technology? How are your books made?"
"By copying. There are professionals who do this for a living, earning a hard-earned living." Tyrion replied absent-mindedly, then suddenly realized, a cold sweat breaking out on his back: "Damn. what, it seems like something's not right!"
Aeg also understood why he didn't know the word for "printing" in Westerosi. it was because printing technology hadn't been invented in this world yet.
They exchanged a look of astonishment: This was a business opportunity!
Aeg quickly delved into the topic of books with Tyrion, learning more about this aspect of Westerosi culture. In this era, books were entirely hand-copied. Their price could range from a few silver stags to several gold dragons, depending on various factors. Some books were even considered luxury items!
"Damn, is this why Caina is advanced and powerful?" Tyrion was quick to grasp the advantage of printing in spreading knowledge and culture. This would be a revolutionary technology with profound implications for social development!
"We can build a printing press and make money by selling books, using the money you raised. No, there's no time to lose. I'll cover the costs and get started as soon as possible!"
The conversation between Aeg and Tyrion had unexpectedly led them to a groundbreaking business idea. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows on the walls of the room, mirroring the leap in their thoughts from the mundane task of creating bonds to the vision of a printing revolution. The potential of this new venture was as vast as the night sky outside, and they were eager to seize the opportunity that had fallen into their laps.
But Aeg shook his head, knowing it wasn't that straightforward. With the technology of the time, printing wasn't necessarily more cost-effective. Creating a mold required significant effort, and if only a few dozen or hundred books were printed, it would be more economical to hire scribes. However, if a large number of books were printed, a practical question arose. who would purchase them?
Tyrion, a cultured and intelligent man, had a vision of universal literacy, which was commendable. Yet, Aeg had to focus on making the funds he had raised valuable and ensuring the scheme's sustainability, not turning it into a Ponzi scheme. He needed projects that were guaranteed to generate profit, not printing highbrow literary or educational works for the long-term cultural development of Westeros.
In essence, it was about addressing the right issues at the right time. Aeg was not yet part of the ruling class, so pondering such grand matters was a waste of effort.
After some thought, Aeg quickly identified items that were societal necessities, with a vast market and printing costs definitely lower than hand-copying. such as calendars, religious texts, and accessible stories suitable for all ages! He could collaborate with the church, minstrels, and other entities to make the funds in his hands work!
The idea came so suddenly that it caught him off guard. He was suddenly energized and swiftly crossed out an item on his original plan with his quill.
"What did you cross out?"
"I originally planned to limit the number of bonds issued because, without a means to actually grow the money, the faster the fund's scale expands, the less sustainable the scam becomes. But now that we have a money-making project, this point is irrelevant!" Aeg exclaimed excitedly. "It's clear what we should do with the first sum of money we get. We'll immediately start recruiting individuals with seal-carving skills. not the professional masters from the King's Landing seal shop, they're too expensive. Apprentices and those with some experience will suffice. Then we'll contact paper merchants. We'll need a steady supply of affordable paper from now on. We have work to do."
"Ho, you were planning to control the number of bonds issued? You really had confidence that people would be lining up to lend you money?"
"If things go smoothly, I'll dare to raise the interest rate. By then, those eager to lend me money will line up from the Red Keep to the Gates of the Gods!" Aeg boasted confidently. "Let's call it a day. Rest well tonight, and tomorrow we'll each go about our business!"
***
In countless novels, transmigrators often quickly earn their first gold with knowledge from their previous world. But Aeg realized that converting knowledge into money was incredibly challenging. He knew the principles of internal combustion engines, how generators produce electricity using magnetism, and even how airplanes and spacecraft reach the skies. Yet, what use were these high-tech concepts in this era and world? Many understood the principles, but who could actually build them? Forget the finished products; with Westeros's materials and industrial levels, they couldn't even produce a single airplane screw.
Who would have thought that in this moment of helplessness, a casual chat would lead him to discover a business opportunity? The level of backwardness in this world exceeded his expectations. To make money here, he didn't need the advanced knowledge he had previously thought necessary. Technologies and items commonplace or obsolete in his daily life were novelties here!
"Which is more important, industry or finance?" Even if I had studied finance, I wouldn't dare to claim finance's superiority. Isn't that just inviting criticism? The correct answer is, of course, that both are important!
*****
A/N: I encourage you to take a peek at my other literary endeavors. I'm confident that you'll find them captivating. They're waiting to whisk you away on new adventures.
Also, a gentle reminder: "Don't forget to vote with your Power Stones. It will be a tremendous help in getting my works noticed by a wider audience. Your votes are like beacons in the night, guiding others to the stories we've built together."