Chapter 78 – 78. The First Astonishing Diary of the Cuelvos (2)

– One –

Buzz buzz.

A voice is heard from inside the wooden door.

From time to time, high voices could also be heard, so it seemed to be a place where serious conversations were being held.

“Jin. Why don’t you reconsider going in? It’s too sudden to come without an appointment and without a plan…”

In front of the door, Margarita calls out Monohorn’s pseudonym to dissuade her.

“Uhhhhh. It’s okay, it’s okay. They’ll treat us like nobles in no time. I guarantee you.”

“Brother. Then at least ask for their permission when entering, and I hope you speak politely. So far, aren’t we uninvited guests?”

“Yes, brother. Don’t worry too much.”

Smart smart

Silence reigned inside the conference hall.

“Who are you?!”

Tension began to rise.

This secret meeting place, which Margarita found, was prepared by the representatives of the press to avoid the public eye.

Despite the fact that even their closest aides do not know the location of the meeting place, someone has come.

“Excuse me~”

Awesome!

Monohorn opens the door and enters.

“Wait! Don’t come closer and reveal your identity!”

In a small secret room used as a conference room, middle-aged men and women who seemed to be representatives of the media stood up.

There were no doors or windows except for the entrance, so there was no escape route.

Most of them were in complete panic when the sudden intruder invaded.

Monohorn’s exhausted appearance and Jose’s overbearing size also played a role.

“If you ask who I am, it’s only natural for me to answer!”

Mono Horn extends her right arm exaggeratedly toward her sky.

Startle.

Everyone is tense at the same time.

She must have mistaken it for an attack.

“To prevent the destruction of this world,”

Mono Horn shouts, extending her left arm to the sky.

“To protect the world’s peace!”

Mono Horn shouts, turning her head to her right.

“Putting shit on Regal’s schemes,”

Mono Horn shouts, turning her head to her left.

“Licorice of the media world, the fairy of the media!”

Spin round in place.

“Me, Jin!”

Exaggerated greetings

“I-Damn!”

Urmama appropriately intervenes and greets them together.

“For those of us couples avoiding the Regal!”

All the media representatives in the secret room are dumbfounded.

“There are plans for the future of journalism, a bright tomorrow!”

Mono Horn exclaims, raising her fist exaggeratedly.

“Ooh, we’re a group…”

Margarita and José shy away from behind.

‘Cha, embarrassing… ! I don’t know why the shame is our share…’

They wanted to deny that they were the Mono Horn couple and her party.

“How did you know this place?!”

The person who first asked Monohorn who he was shouted again.

Even after hearing such a dubious introduction, there was no foolish person here who would gladly give up his seat.

Monohorn tries to calm them down with a smirk.

“Ah, calm down, calm down. It doesn’t matter, we’re the ones avoiding Regal sending agents and privates to kidnap.”

“Are you saying you’re going to believe us?”

The monohorn still spins.

However, if she put on such a sullen smile with her exhausted face, it would only make her look more suspicious.

“Can you prove your thoughts? Regal bastard. Regal mother whore. Regal wife whore.”

“Heh, heh…”

The loyalty of Regal’s subordinates, or operatives, is truly unusual.

This fact was common knowledge to all subjects of the empire.

Even the slightest gossip or legitimate criticism of Regal was never overlooked.

So the representatives of the media became convinced that they were at least not subordinate to Regal.

“Isn’t there a law saying that just because you’re not a subordinate of Regal, you’re not a mercenary who received Regal’s request?”

Another calmly objected to Monohorn.

He was a middle-aged man who looked a lot like the one who was wary and yelled at when Monohorn entered.

Monohorn smiled, thinking to himself that the two might be brothers.

“Dad. How can you believe that we’ve come here just to give you advice and not maliciously?”

“Of course, there’s no other way but to part ways like this and never run into each other again.”

“Hmm. That’s difficult…”

Mono Horn strokes his chin.

Because he hasn’t shaved in days, he feels a thin beard on his chin.

“Well then, how about this? We’ll go inside the room and sit down. Spread out a table between us, and you’ll be around the door. We’ll just talk to you, all disarmed. If you feel strange, run away anytime.”

Media representatives exchange glances with each other.

Even that proposal seemed to be unreliable.

“We are ordinary journalists, not mercenaries or soldiers. We are no different from ordinary people, that is to say. Just because we are talking across a table, it is impossible to escape when you harm us. “

“Well, I guess. Then, would you tie us up with a rope?”

Monohorn readily proposes to redeem them.

The eyes of the media representatives trembled.

“Hmm. Why do you want to talk to us while doing that?”

“Oh, are you curious about that?”

To Monohon’s question, the old man in the highest seat nodded slightly.

“Did I mention we’re being pursued by the Regal?”

“That’s right.”

But the answer is continued by a calm middle-aged man.

“Then, if we give Regal a shot and make him obsessed with cleaning things up, won’t we be at ease?”

“That’s true too.”

“And you guys heard that Regal is putting pressure on funds these days by reducing their donations.”

“Has the rumor already spread like that…”

“Oh, no. That’s not it. How you learned about this is a trade secret, so please let me know.”

“… I see.”

While talking calmly, the journalists were slowly lowering their guard before they knew it.

Of course, not all were put down.

It was because he did not know when the Monohorn party would suddenly change.

“Well, anyway, I’ll tell you how to solve it. So if you can get out of Regal’s influence, so if you can pour out critical articles and editorials about Regal, won’t Regal get on the shit line, too?”

Media representatives are silent.

Ask each other’s intentions with their eyes.

The final destination of their gaze was the old man sitting in the seat of honor.

The old man made eye contact with them one by one, confirming everyone’s intentions.

For a short time, it seemed that the decision had been made in silence.

“In exchange for advice, what do you want from us?”

The old man was the first to speak.

The old man’s voice sounded like it was scratching an iron plate.

“Nothing. Ah! Regal bastard, bastard!”

“…Is that enough?”

“Of course~! I guarantee you, if you do as I say, Regal will go crazy and jump all over the place. Even that alone will suffice for me to pick out mulberries, right?”

“… First of all, I’ll listen to you. If I listen to you and have a point, I’ll do as you say.”

Monohorn grins.

His smile was full of madness.

The Cuelvos had no idea what he was up to.

I just watched his back and gave him a worried look.

“Well, then, before I give advice, tell me your full name! What’s your grandfather’s name?”

“Did you say your name was Jin?”

“Uh. I don’t have a last name.”

“My name is Johnnie, but everyone just calls me Walker. I run a small newspaper in the neighborhood.”

“Okay, old man. Nice to meet you!”

The one who yelled at Monohorn first comes out.

“I’m Jack Tennessee. Have you heard of it?”

Monohorn tilts his head.

“I don’t know.”

“Huh, true. Are you a complete novice? I’m the CEO of Maeil Shinbo, the 6th largest media company in the Empire. Know it!”

“Eh~! I’ll remember that, Uncle Jack!”

“… If your advice is useless, I won’t pass on today’s atrocities and rudeness!”

“It’s useless to worry~ It’s sure to be useful~!”

Monohorn is still smiling, shooting mad eyes.

Jack was just worried that he seemed a little crazy.

A person resembling Jack, who had asked Monohorn a question relatively calmly, opens his mouth.

“My name is Daniel Tennessee. As you can see, the two of us are brothers.”

“I am your brother.”

Jack jumps in.

He seemed to want to emphasize the fact that he was an older brother.

“Yes, I am the younger brother. Like my older brother, he is the CEO of the 6th largest media company, Citizen Daily. It seems that you have no direct connection with media companies.”

“That’s right, Uncle Daniel! Actually, I can’t even read.”

A murmur grows among the delegates.

The hot-tempered Jack comes out in a fit of rage.

“Will a worm who can’t even read give us advice?”

“About the fact that I’m illiterate and my qualifications to advise media ink gentlemen, make an argument based on historical data that can prove a meaningful connection and trend, whether it’s causation or correlation. I’ll listen.”

Jack is perplexed.

“…! Ah, no, so,”

“Once you learn to read, do you easily come up with good ideas against Regal? Huh? So how many days have you guys been meeting here?”

“…”

Everyone becomes a dumb who ate honey.

“Tsk, old man. I don’t know how to read, but I might know more than you, and I might have a completely different, sleazy perspective than yours, wouldn’t it?”

“… I apologize for my mistakes.”

“Yeah, so don’t rush to tease the mouth, and hit it in the ear hole first.”

He’s vulgar in words, but he’s a kid with a sharp edge.

That was Johnny’s first impression of Monohorn.

– 2-

“Mister Chirp.”

The monohorn instantly creates a nickname for Jack.

“I am Jack!”

Of course, Jack’s consent was not sought.

The hot-tempered Jack is hot.

“Ah, that’s okay. I don’t know much about media laws, but since Ajae is the representative of a major media company, he shouldn’t know that well.”

“Yes.”

“What are the current eligibility requirements for media sponsorship?”

Monohorn’s question penetrates the core from the beginning.

Rather than blindly sticking to their own ideas, they try to dig into the specific current situation and the root of the problem.

José and Margarita looked at it and were somewhat relieved.

Of course, it was just too difficult a story for Urmama.

The role assigned to Urmama in this place was simply to support Monohorn.

“Only nobles above the rank of count are entitled to personal patronage to the press.”

“Hmm. The patronage itself was monopolized by the nobles? Then, other noble families besides the Regal don’t sponsor it?”

“Currently, the only sponsorship from the Whisky family is. Six major media outlets and 27 local minor media outlets receive donations and publish newspapers with them.”

“Are there any media outlets that are not sponsored?”

“There is only one media company that does not receive sponsorship money. There were originally two, but one of them was closed. Last year, when the Saint Women’s Gate broke, the Heretic Questioner sent by the corrupt priests brutally murdered the journalists.”

“So here…”

Monohorn looked around and counted the heads of the delegates.

“A total of 33 media representatives are gathered. Are all of them gathered only from media companies sponsored by Regal?”

“Yes.”

Hehe. Didn’t you know that eating anything will give you a stomach ache? It seems no one taught you when you were young.”

In spite of Monohorn’s sarcasm, the representatives of the media could not refute anything.

It was because I was intoxicated with the sweetness of donations and never imagined that a day like this would come.

There was nothing wrong with his words, even if they were rude.

Still, the mood was hurt, and the head of the media continued to hum.

“Come on, I’m not going to make fun of you, so let’s focus~! Then, I’ll ask you a few more questions. According to the Sponsorship Act, are you sure that noble families don’t ask for any tangible or intangible compensation from the media and don’t support them?”

“Legally, yes.”

Mono Horn nods his head.

“Currently, your press’s financial independence is too low, and conversely, your reliance on Regal’s donations is too high, right? You don’t have to pay legally, but whenever you publish an article critical of Regal, the donations Even though there is pressure to reduce the press, you can’t respond. If Regal’s sponsorship decreases right now, it’s on the verge of bankruptcy, so even if the media is privatized by Regal, it can’t be stopped.”

“… Accurate.”

Representatives of media outlets were gradually changing their views on Monohorn.

Clearly, there was also a look of astonishment.

They ignored Monohorn because they were illiterate.

However, Monohorn summarized the current situation with just a few questions and picked out only the key points.

This at least proves that he is not an ignorant figure.

“Last question. Is it legal to publish a picture in a newspaper?”

“You mean the illustration?”

“Ok.”

“There’s no problem. However, if you do print work to load illustrations, it’s just that it costs more to print than type, so we don’t put them in.”

“Okay! Thanks, Mr. Chirp!”

Match!

Monohorn clapped his hands loudly.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Monohorn, including those who were whispering to each other while listening to Monohorn and Jack’s conversation, and those who were disapproving of his intrusion.

“Inspired by Johnny.”

“Speak.”

“Only nobles of the count’s rank or higher are allowed to pay donations without receiving compensation from the media. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then, is there a restriction on status when a media company sells a portion of a newspaper to someone for a fee?”

Buzz buzz.

“First of all, there are no related regulatory laws, so it would be correct to assume that there are no restrictions on status, but… I would like you to explain in a little more detail what it means to sell part of the page.”

Mono Horn nodded vigorously.

“Let’s assume that my status is commoner class and my occupation is a merchant. I happened to find a package of medicinal herbs that are good for the body and expensive. These herbs spoil quickly. But in my area, there are few people who need it. I couldn’t sell it, so I ended up throwing away this expensive herb.”

“It’s a common occurrence.”

“So, on a part of the pages of the newspaper of inspiration, I put pictures of herbs and their efficacy, and at the bottom I draw a small map of my current location. Now, then what will happen?”

“… Read my newspaper, and someone who needs herbs will come to you.”

The murmurs of other media representatives grow louder.

It seemed that more and more people understood.

Surprise began to mix in the eyes of the Cuelvos as well.

“Yes. What if I’m waiting with herbs next to the communication magic tool installed. Then, along with information and a map of the herb, I put the identification number of the communication magic tool in the newspaper. Then what will happen?”

“You can look at my newspaper, ask you for inventory, ask for delivery. You can even bargain.”

“That’s right. Rather than discarding the leftover herbs because they’ve rotted away, I’m going to take a portion of the profits from selling them all and buy newspaper pages. It’s better for me to sell them out like that, right?”

“I see. We can sell someone a piece of paper, give him the content he wants to publish, and in return increase his financial self-sufficiency, are you saying that?”

Monohorn nodded loudly.

His smile is rather sinister.

“Let’s call this a newspaper advertisement. Call the people who pay the money advertisers. Let it be, so those in a hurry will give you more money.”

“Her…”

“However, there must be a lower limit. Considering the value of your newspaper, assume a minimum cost for running advertisements. Without it, the market price of newspaper advertisements may be fixed at a low price. Is, just filter it out. You don’t have to accept all the goofballs.”

Some look at Monohorn with a look of astonishment, and some with admiration.

“And there are not many people who read the entire newspaper from cover to cover, right? First of all, they read the first page unconditionally, but don’t they find and read only the parts they are interested in going backwards?”

“Isn’t that usually the case. So, the most important article on the front page of a newspaper is called a headline.”

“Yes. Articles are also placed according to their importance. So, this is also the advertisement.”

Monohorn holds the thumb and forefinger of his right hand in a circle and shakes his wrist.

As far as he knew, even in this world, the act of drawing a circle by rolling the thumb and forefinger was a motion that contained a metaphor for money.

“Depending on how much you pay for this, whether you load it at the front or back will change, right? Also, set a discount rate according to the contract period. If you make a print when you run an advertisement anyway, you can run it several times over and over, right? For advertisements, the price per day is higher, and the longer it is, the lower the price per day. How about it?”

“There should be a difference in unit price according to the size of the paper.”

“You’re right!”

“Heh heh… I feel like I’ve opened my eyes.”

As Johnny said, everyone was amazed.

It was because no one could have imagined that such a plan would come out of the frivolous and eccentric-looking Monohorn’s head.

Now, none of the media representatives were wary of the Monohorns.

Because it became clear that he had come to give his advice.

And the advice felt very practical and effective to them.

“You, are you really illiterate? I even know the habits of people who read newspapers, but I can’t imagine that I am illiterate. You seem to have completed higher education. That doesn’t seem like it.”

“Well, everyone has their circumstances, so don’t dig too deep.”

Relief lingers in Margarita’s and Jose’s eyes.

It was because Monohorn was conceited and did not boast that he was from another world.

Johnny’s expression is also likeable.

“I heard your point. Thank you very much for your very helpful advice. However, I have a few concerns, and I would like to ask you a question about them.”

“Yeah, do it. It’s okay. We have a lot of time. And if you want to make sure that you don’t even think about fighting back after grinding the head of Regal clumsily, you’ll have no rice or porridge. We’ll have to tell you everything here. Let’s put our heads together.”

Monohorn’s will burns.

He seemed to want to relieve the stress he had been suffering from PTSD by slapping Regal in the back of the head.

“Rather than that, would you like to sit down first?

“I’ve been waiting until I’ve been thirsty for a seat.”

Monohorn trembles.

“Look, Jack.”

“Yes, Chief.”

“A person, a person, a person. Even if you’re not a gunman. Whatever it is, bring me some tea. I think the story will be long.”

“All right.”

Jack and Daniel opened the door to the meeting room and stepped out.

Everyone in the party sat down.

Mono Horn sat with his back reclined and his hips draped over the edge of the chair, his clasped hands on his stomach.

As anyone can see, the power of this meeting has become Monohorn.