Chapter 360: What Is a Newspaper?

The morning after breakfast, Gawain pulled out the detailed proposal he had written the night before and handed it to Hetty for her to review.

Calling it a “proposal” was actually an understatement. The document was far more comprehensive than a typical plan—it not only outlined the steps and resources needed to start a newspaper but also devoted a large portion to explaining what a newspaper actually was, why it mattered, and what challenges might arise during its establishment, along with possible solutions and a whole host of other details.

Gawain had no choice but to be this thorough. Over time, he’d learned from experience that the biggest hurdle when introducing a completely new concept in this world wasn’t whether people would accept it—after all, as a founding ancestor with the power to crush anyone in his domain, he never had to worry about whether his orders would be carried out. The real problem was that people often simply couldn’t grasp what he was describing.

Whenever he introduced a novel idea or product, he had to coin new terms to explain it, and those terms often required further explanation. What seemed obvious to him might need two or even three layers of “translation” before the locals could understand. After running into this problem multiple times, he’d started preparing detailed background materials every time he introduced something new, carefully explaining the basic concepts and functions.

This upfront effort took time but saved him from having to explain the same thing repeatedly to everyone. Plus, having a clear, written reference helped prevent misunderstandings or distortions as the information passed from person to person, ensuring the final implementation matched his original vision.

“Newspaper?” Hetty read through the thick stack of papers carefully. By now, she was used to these kinds of documents and knew that whenever her ancestor presented such a detailed dossier, it meant she needed to wrap her head around some unprecedented but potentially powerful innovation. But this time, it was different—this wasn’t a new magical device or a management strategy. It was… an extremely cheap kind of book?

“You can think of it as printing thousands of copies of what you’d normally see posted on the town’s bulletin board,” Gawain explained, “but with added content like everyday tips, news from inside and outside the territory, price changes, and popular science articles. The end result is an inexpensive, timely publication.” He paused to clarify the meaning of “timely.” “By that, I mean the information is recent and only useful for a limited period. For example, grain prices from the last couple of days—that’s time-sensitive information.”

Hetty nodded thoughtfully, trying to absorb what he said. Just then, Amber, who had been wandering around the dining hall after finishing her meal, suddenly came over with a surprised look. “Wow—so after driving the alchemists, apothecaries, and miners crazy, you’re finally going to wipe out the territory’s information brokers too?”

Gawain blinked, caught off guard. “What do information brokers have to do with this?”

“Isn’t it obvious? You’re printing all this info in something called a ‘newspaper,’ which means you want to monopolize the news business,” Amber said, shaking her head with a grin. “I learned the word ‘monopoly’ from you, by the way. You really don’t leave anyone else a chance, huh?”

“If what’s in the newspaper counts as ‘information’…” Gawain chuckled wryly, “then yeah, I guess I am trying to put those so-called ‘news dealers’ out of business.”

“The newspaper’s purpose is to help people learn about what’s happening around them faster,” Hetty said, ignoring Amber’s interruption. “It also spreads scientific knowledge, general education, and announces new decrees and policies from the administration, strengthening the ruler’s influence…” She looked up from the papers, puzzled. “Ancestor, doesn’t the town’s bulletin board already do this?”

“It does, but it has serious limitations,” Gawain shook his head. “Our population is growing, and the city is expanding. Relying solely on bulletin boards to spread information is clearly inefficient. Plus, more and more people in the territory are learning to read. Literacy means they can absorb knowledge and learn skills more effectively. Bulletin boards just don’t provide enough information for that.”

Hetty suddenly recalled the report she’d given Gawain the day before and cautiously asked, “Does this also relate to improving public security?”

“Exactly,” Gawain nodded slightly. “Reading helps people think clearly. The more they understand, the more rationally they can approach problems, freeing themselves from ignorance. I know many nobles in this era believe commoners are naturally wild and uncivilized, which is why they fight, drink, and gamble. But the truth is, no one is born savage—they just lack proper guidance and constructive outlets for their energy.”

Amber wandered over behind Hetty, peering over her shoulder at the papers with a serious expression. Then she looked up and asked, “But honestly… you’re really obsessed with making commoners ‘know more stuff,’ huh? Is that really necessary?”

Gawain smiled. “Absolutely. I don’t just want the people to have enough to eat and wear—I want them to understand why they live well now and why they suffered hunger and cold in the past. Only then will they genuinely support Cecil’s new order and develop a sense of belonging and unity with this land.”

Amber raised her eyelids, her amber eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Your way of thinking is definitely different from others.”

“I know no lord before me ever considered this,” Gawain said with a smile. “They see commoners as weak and ignorant. As long as they hold swords and magic staffs, they never worry about the peasants’ lives or thoughts. But I think differently.” He glanced at them. “You’ve all seen those machines ordinary people operate in factories, and the new guns and bombs. You should know that when intelligence is applied correctly, even commoners can challenge the extraordinary. It’s just that for centuries, no one has paid attention to their potential.”

Rebecca, who had been quietly listening nearby, suddenly realized something and stared at Gawain wide-eyed. “Ah! Ancestor, I get it now! That printing press you showed me yesterday is for this! No wonder you kept emphasizing convenience and editability…”

“Exactly,” Gawain nodded. “Only a modern printing press capable of continuous printing and quick plate-making can meet the newspaper’s demand for mass production and timeliness.”

Rebecca scratched her head. “Well, that’s a problem—who knows when we’ll actually build one…”

“No rush,” Gawain waved a hand with a smile. “If we can’t do it all at once, we’ll take it step by step. Newspapers don’t have to come out daily at first—we can start with weekly editions using woodblock printing. For our territory and people who’ve never had access to cheap reading materials, even a paper every ten days would be a huge step forward.”

This world also had the concept of a “week,” but it wasn’t seven days. According to ancient myths about the earth rising from the sea over ten days, a week here was ten days long, making a month sixty days and six weeks.

To Gawain, while daily newspapers were ideal, it wasn’t practical at the start. Traditional Ansu woodblock printing—from carving wax plates to making relief clay blocks, printing paper, and drying ink—took at least two days. Add in the inexperience of launching a newspaper and efficiency issues, and each issue would take even longer. So he decided to align with the local calendar and produce a “weekly” paper every ten days.

In this era, outside of Cecil’s territory, most regions developed slowly and monotonously, with little news to report. Given the relatively low literacy levels among the populace, overly complex or dense content wasn’t necessary. Plus, the territory itself was still small, with limited news and changes. A weekly paper was perfectly reasonable.

If something urgent happened, they could always issue a special “extra” edition.

“A newspaper is a long-term endeavor, so we need to set up a dedicated department to handle it,” Gawain continued, seeing that Hetty was grasping the newspaper’s significance. “This department can be called the ‘press office.’ In theory, if the press office grows and private newspapers emerge, we’ll even need a cultural affairs bureau within the administration to oversee propaganda and publicity. But for now, a press office directly controlled by the government is enough. It should have editors responsible for content, reporters who gather news, and so on…”

Gawain went over the various roles and responsibilities. Most of this was already in the materials he’d given Hetty, but his personal explanation made it easier for her to understand.

“This will require some educated people,” Hetty said, rubbing her temples as she considered candidates. “There won’t be anyone suitable among the newly literate commoners… Maybe the scholars Santis brought back could help.”

“The scholars from the capital…” Gawain pondered for a moment. “What are they doing now?”

“Some have started teaching at schools and are doing well—after all, Santis filtered and selected them carefully, so they adapted quickly. Others are studying runic logic with Jenny and Kamail,” Rebecca babbled on. “A few are at the magical technology research institute, very interested in the mana engines—I told them it was ‘lost ancient technology’ from my ancestor, and they’ve been studying it day and night. A handful haven’t been assigned yet.”

Gawain’s lips curled into a smile. “Not bad. I was worried the capital scholars might struggle to adapt here.”

“They’re doing great,” Rebecca grinned. “There’s so much new stuff to research, and many things are labeled ‘lost ancient technology.’ Not just the scholars—even the official mages and apprentices are behaving themselves, afraid I’ll ban them from the labs. Honestly, I think it’s mostly because they’ve seen Kamail zipping around the territory with sparks flying everywhere—they’re pretty intimidated.”

Seeing the conversation veering off-topic, Gawain quickly steered it back. “Ahem, alright. Let’s select a few of those capital scholars to prepare the first issue of Cecil’s territory newspaper. Hetty, I’m entrusting this to you.”

Hetty carefully gathered the thick stack of papers and bowed deeply. “You have my word.”

(End of chapter)