Edward von Baunfeld

"Are you planning to open a newspaper? Have you thought about how you'll make it profitable?" Lady Sophie asked with concern.

Profitable?

That was impossible—not in the short term, at least!

Opening a newspaper wasn't easy, and its circulation certainly wouldn't take off overnight. Without sales, there'd be no advertising revenue.

Under normal circumstances, the paper would run at a loss for the first few months. Then, as circulation gradually grew, it could take on some advertisements and slowly turn a profit, one step at a time.

The people of Vienna weren't wealthy in this era, and the middle class was quite small, so newspaper sales were naturally low.

"I'm planning to start by publishing serialized novels and building a steady readership, with the occasional news item that interests the public to draw people's attention.

"We don't need to worry about making a profit yet. It'll be more realistic to consider that once circulation passes twenty thousand copies!" Franz said confidently.

"Twenty thousand copies won't be easy. As far as I know, only three newspapers sell more than twenty thousand copies locally in Vienna. You'd have to target the whole country," Lady Sophie said after thinking it over.

Clearly, she'd done her homework. She wasn't just speaking off the cuff.

Franz nodded. He knew that even those three papers didn't sell twenty thousand copies in Vienna every day. They only reached that figure when there was explosive news.

There was no helping it. Vienna's population was still under half a million, and no more than eighty thousand people could afford to buy newspapers. Fewer still were willing to pay for a subscription.

Franz estimated that Vienna had around twenty to thirty thousand regular newspaper subscribers. Everyone else only bought one now and then.

It was fair to say that newspapers faced a harsh struggle to survive in this era. Add in the strict censorship system, and the business was anything but easy.

Franz's goal was to raise the paper's circulation to ten thousand within a year. Selling six thousand copies in Vienna alone would count as a success.

Lady Sophie thought it over, then said, "Franz, since you've already made up your mind, go ahead and give it your all!

"Here's my advice: hire a reliable editor-in-chief. He can help you lose a little less money.

"And don't rush into politics blindly. That'll save you a lot of trouble!"

"Thank you. You can tell from the newspaper's name that it's simply a paper that gives the people a voice. How exactly to do that, though, isn't something I need to worry about," Franz said with a smile.

He had no intention of letting anyone use him as a weapon. He could get involved in politics, but he absolutely couldn't take sides blindly in the struggle between capitalists and nobles.

As the heir to the empire, Franz's position would influence where many people stood. It was tied to the image he was building for himself.

Franz's chosen role was that of a benevolent heir who cared about people's livelihoods. In the struggle between the nobles and the capitalists, he had to remain above the fray.

All of this required publicity. Without it, how would ordinary people know what kind of person he was?

Time flew by, and Franz soon settled on an editor-in-chief for the newspaper: Edward von Baunfeld. He chose him for one reason alone: he was famous.

One of Austria's best-known writers of the era, he'd been a fiery radical in his youth, though in his later years he'd leaned toward conservatism.

By now, he was middle-aged. Most of the fire in him had burned away, but it hadn't gone out completely.

"Mr. Baunfeld, welcome aboard!" Franz said with a smile.

"Your Highness, it's an honor to serve you!" Edward von Baunfeld replied.

"Mr. Baunfeld, I asked you here today mainly to discuss the newspaper's direction. What are your thoughts?" Franz asked.

"Your Highness, exposing society's dark side is every journalist's duty. We must have the courage to bring it all to light!" Edward von Baunfeld said, brimming with anticipation.

Franz understood why so many people were willing to accept his invitation. They simply wanted a platform where they could curse to their hearts' content.

Austria enforced press censorship. Without powerful backing, these writers couldn't even indulge their urge to rail against things.

There was no doubt about it: as heir to the empire, Franz made the perfect patron. Even if trouble arose, surely he wouldn't leave his own man in the lurch?

Edward von Baunfeld wasn't young anymore. Reality had taught him to compromise, and not long ago he'd written a satire of the government called Adulthood.

After he put it out, he'd grown worried. He'd printed it privately, without submitting it to the government for review, and if he was caught, he'd end up in prison.

He'd been preparing to flee when Franz's invitation arrived, and he'd accepted at once.

The Austrian secret police of the day were also known to judge people by their connections. If he worked for Franz, they wouldn't dare target him as long as he didn't go too far.

Franz shook his head. "Mr. Baunfeld, there are already plenty of newspapers exposing society's dark side. The world doesn't need another one.

"You can tell from the newspaper's name why I founded it. Our mission is to give the people at the very bottom of society a voice.

"I hope that through our efforts, we can change the lives of the people at the bottom of the country. They need bread and cheese—these are the most basic necessities of human life, and they should be guaranteed!"

Every newspaper had some lofty ideal. At this time, Austria had no paper devoted to speaking for the lower classes, because they couldn't afford to buy newspapers.

"Your Highness, I must say, your vision is noble. But to achieve it, we'd have to change our current political system," Edward von Baunfeld said without hesitation, already slipping in his own agenda.

Franz smiled faintly. "Austria's system does need to change, but I don't know how it should change.

"Even if someone put a ready-made plan in front of me, my knowledge isn't yet broad enough to judge it correctly. So on this matter, I'll have to remain silent for now.

"But I do know that no matter how the system changes, the lives of the people at the bottom must improve. The government needs to pass more laws to protect their interests!

"Mr. Baunfeld, you have a very important task. You must help more people in society understand how the poor live and care about their lives!

"If we can push the government to pass laws protecting their interests, so much the better!"

Who was afraid of a little spin? In just a few sentences, Franz had left Edward von Baunfeld with nothing to say. Everyone knew Austria needed reform, but how should it be reformed?

Everyone had different interests, and naturally everyone had a different reform plan. Franz simply played dumb and kept expectations low. No one should expect a sixteen-year-old kid to decide the fate of a nation.