I Became A Black Merchant In Another World-Chapter 303: Reformation (6)

In the modern age, it's common knowledge that the quality of goods is more important than simply the quantity that can be produced.

This is because goods are plentiful, and there’s no shortage of food, so everyone agrees on it.

However, in more than 90%, or rather, more than 99% of human history, mass production was 100 times more important than quality.

This is because the scarcity of resources was so extreme that, as long as it wasn't completely unusable, people had to make do with what they had.

‘Until the Great Depression, the very concept of goods not selling and piling up was almost non-existent.’

The person in front of me couldn’t hide the look of frustration and bewilderment on his face.

With a big sigh, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° he spoke in protest.

“Thirty thousand copies of the Bible per month? That’s impossible!”

“There’s no such word as ‘impossible’ in my dictionary.”

“Our printing press is already the largest producer of books in the Tuscan Empire, no, the entire Albanian continent. But increasing production by ten times? That’s ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous is making the ridiculous become possible. Most things in this world can be solved if you just change your perspective a little.”

Adam Smith said this.

A factory that made 960 pins a day with ten people could increase its output to 48,000 pins a day just by introducing division of labor.

It’s a miracle that increased production by 50 times, and the only change was:

‘The introduction of division of labor.’

Increasing the production of paper is also a problem that can be solved quickly if the right mindset is applied.

“The reason it’s difficult to mass-produce books the way I want is for three main reasons: a shortage of paper to print on, a shortage of labor, and a shortage of facilities.”

“Indeed. The biggest issue is the lack of paper.”

Even if we gather blast furnaces, coke, and skilled workers, if there’s no iron ore, a steel mill can’t produce steel no matter how much it tries.

Without the core ingredient, iron ore, how can you extract iron?

It’s the same logic as trying to have a child with your right hand no matter how much love you share. You need to change things.

Just like you need to replace your right hand with a woman if you want to make a child, I need to figure out how to obtain raw materials.

While you can’t suddenly change your girlfriend by switching your perspective, increasing the production of paper can certainly be done with a change of thought.

“What are the raw materials for paper?”

“It’s usually made from processed hemp, cotton, and wool fabrics. Occasionally, hemp or flax stems are also used.”

“Well then, we could try using sawdust, various weeds, and dry leaves, grinding them into pulp, drying them, and making paper that way.”

“I think it’s worth trying.”

In the 21st century, paper is still made this way.

Even the low-quality wood that’s hard to use for timber is ground up, mixed with chemicals, pulped, shaped, and dried.

The head of the printing press fell into thought after hearing my suggestion.

“If we just make large mills that use water or animal power, the rest of the process won’t be that difficult. We can surely find a way to get the printing presses and labor.”

“We’ll have the craftsmen from the Rothschild Trading Company make as many printing presses as needed, and for the labor, I’ll arrange for the poor to be employed at the paper factory. You can get as many as you need.”

After taking the emperor around the slums and the peasant villages, the emperor’s attitude toward the people changed considerably.

Previously, he had a tendency to think of poverty as a sin.

But after experiencing firsthand the lives of peasants and their food, he seemed to have changed his views so much that, by early to mid-19th-century standards, he might be called a socialist for his emphasis on welfare.

The imperial treasury now manages poorhouses to prevent the poor from starving to death.

Although they’re technically social welfare facilities, in reality, they force peasants to work with low wages and perform brutal labor.

Nevertheless, most of the poor are satisfied.

And I’m not just saying that because it’s in front of the high-ranking officials. It’s genuinely true.

“I understand.”

“And when I send a secret order, make sure to mass-produce these.”

“What’s in this box?”

Father Stefano gave me a catechism he had worked on for years, and then left.

I took that and rewrote it in simpler terms so that even peasants could understand it.

I summarized the core ideas on one page of A4 paper.

‘Long and complicated texts have no appeal.’

“Curiosity doesn’t lead to long life.”

If the news got out that we printed this at our publishing house, I would definitely be in danger.

So it must never be discovered.

“When I give the order later, make sure only the most trusted people help mass-produce this.”

Normally, when dealing with such things, it’s best to only use people who can’t read.

But if, by any chance, even one person who can read gets mixed in with a large group of people, the situation could get complicated.

So it’s better to choose those who are tight-lipped for the job.

“Expand the facilities to increase paper production and book printing tenfold. Spend the money however you like.”

To make a lot of money, you need to know how to save money.

But at the same time, you must also know when to spend without hesitation.

‘Now is the best time to invest.’

And with that final instruction, I left the publishing house and thought:

Is Father Stefano safely spreading the doctrine in the Holy Empire with the funds I gave him?

**

Father Stefano was enjoying a meal with the group that came with him.

“You’ve traveled far, and you have plenty of funds, so don’t be stingy with the food.”

Fabio would often mention 5,000 or 10,000 gold coins, but for Father Stefano and his group, that amount of money could change their lives.

No, if Father Stefano had even a little greed for the world, he could have divided the money among his people and fled, living comfortably in a small town.

But those who prioritize devotion to God over worldly pleasures didn’t run off or spend that money recklessly.

“The Holy Empire may have fallen, but the beer and the sausages here are incredible. With sauerkraut, it’s even better.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I now understand why Solomon said that eating good food and studying Deuwos’s words are the only things that matter in this world.”

“All the food and wealth of this world were given by Deuwos, so if we don’t enjoy them, we’re losing out.”

“Don’t get drunk, though. Deuwos said that we can drink but shouldn’t get drunk. And from tomorrow, we will use Vienna as a base and...”

While they were chatting, Father Stefano heard a strange sermon.

“Thanks to Deuwos being crucified, we don’t have to go to hell. But Deuwos’s death saved us from eternal suffering, not from the penalty of sins committed during our earthly lives.”

Father Stefano was furious upon hearing this.

The Bible states that Deuwos died on the cross once for all humanity’s sins, and by believing in Him, one can gain freedom from sin and enter Heaven.

But these people were using the absurd doctrine of purgatory to exploit the poor.

‘Deuwos, have mercy.’

“Our souls, living in this world, are like filthy rags. When a rag gets dirty, it must be washed, right? Similarly, we must go to purgatory to atone for the sins of this world, enduring horrific suffering for hundreds, maybe thousands of years.”

The people around him trembled in fear.

For those who believed in the afterlife, the thought of having to suffer for years after death was terrifying.

If Fabio had seen this scene, he would have laughed, saying it’s no different than believing in oxygen deprivation while closing the door and turning on the fan.

But at least those present were all serious.

“Deuwos, have mercy! What should we do?”

“No! Not purgatory!”

“How can we be saved?”

The corrupt missionary clapped his hands, his voice rising with the growing tension.

“But don’t worry! This indulgence! If you buy this indulgence, and coins—silver, gold—clang into the donation box, your time in purgatory will be reduced! This is what His Holiness the Pope has declared, so you can trust it!”

As the heretical sermon continued, a poor widow grabbed the missionary’s cloak and asked:

“My children died from hunger. Will they be suffering in purgatory now?”

“Madam, sadly, all humans are sinners. But if you buy this indulgence...”

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The widow clutched the missionary’s clothes and cried.

“I failed as a mother, starving my children to death. At least, please let them rest in peace after they die. Here is my entire fortune... is this enough?”

“I’m afraid this isn’t enough...”

“This is all I have left.”

The missionary callously pushed the widow away.

And Father Stefano, with his anger barely contained, walked alone to the empty cathedral.

To end this madness.

“Curses upon those clergy who, blinded by money, devour the flock!”

The 95 Theses were nailed to the door of the cathedral in Vienna, the capital of the Holy Empire.

Father Stefano was immediately designated a heretic and arrested on the spot.