Chapter 93
The autumn wind swirls withered yellow leaves as they fall onto Par Lake. As the weather gradually turns colder, the tables and chairs placed by the lake are put away.
The small boat was moored on the shore, and a water bird had built a nest under the deck sometime during the day. If you looked around, you might even be able to find a bird egg.
The roof of the Rose Garden is entirely made of stained glass.
When the sunlight shines down, the view from the outside is colorful and exceptionally beautiful. Although the roses inside have temporarily withered, some other flowers have been placed there at Cyrus's command, and the room remains as beautiful as ever.
Roses bloom only once a year. They love sunlight, are cold- and drought-resistant, and need to grow in a well-ventilated environment. They are very adaptable.
However, it does not like waterlogging, otherwise it will cause the flowers and leaves to fall off, and in severe cases, it may even lead to the death of the entire plant.
There are many different varieties of roses.
For example, a type of everblooming rose can bloom continuously, with its flowering period lasting into the cold winter.
When Cyrus saw that Judas had expressed regret over the roses' decline in June and July, she casually mentioned it to him.
After that, Judas kept this in mind—she wanted to plant everlasting roses the following year and began looking for people to study how to cultivate them.
Judas finished touring the Rose Garden and checking how each flower was blooming, she followed one of the paths into the castle.
He held two bouquets of fragrant roses and yuccas in his hands, one a vibrant pink and the other a pure white.
He walked through the castle corridors, climbed the stairs, and arrived at the door of the largest study on the third floor. He knocked—and upon hearing a soft voice from inside, a smile involuntarily spread across Judas's face. He then grasped the handle and gently opened the door.
This study is the most spacious and largest room. In addition to the most basic facilities, such as tables, chairs, fireplace, and decorations, there are many large and soft cushions that Cyrus specially ordered to be made.
A small wooden fence was erected on the floor slightly to the right of the center of the study, dividing the study into two parts.
The smaller side has tables and chairs placed next to the fireplace for working, while the larger side is entirely covered with soft cushions, crammed together.
It looks incredibly comfortable and warm, making you want to immediately collapse into it.
These mats were sewn into cute shapes such as cat paws and animals, using existing plush mats as references, and were all made by Cyrus's people.
Black Sugar loves to carry its own panther-shaped cushion around its mouth, drag it to a corner, stomp on it with its paws, and then lie down to rest.
Cyrus sometimes works in her study, and if she gets tired, she will lie on a cat paw-shaped cushion and take a nap while hugging Qing Tuan -shaped pillow. It's so blissful when the weather gets cold.
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When Judas entered, Cyrus was lying among a group of furry creatures, holding a book and reading.
He had a thin blanket covering his legs, and perhaps because he was hot, he kicked one leg out, his bare foot dangling next to the Egg Yolk. After a while, he used the sole of his foot to stick up to the Egg Yolk's golden fur.
Judas first placed the two bouquets of flowers she was holding on the windowsill where the sunlight was shining through; she left the roses by the window and took the yucca and placed it on the desk.
After tidying up the scattered papers and documents on the table, he turned and walked to a pile of soft cushions, stepping over Coalball's massive body to come to Cyrus's side, and then gently pulled a thin blanket over him.
Immediately afterwards, Judas stood at attention and began to report the day's news in an orderly manner.
"My lord, the first batch of newspapers has been printed and is currently being transported to the newspaper stands being built in Visas and Komoy Fort. They will be available for sale shortly..."
Cyrus had already sat up.
He closed the book in his hand, then picked up the first printed sample newspaper on the small table next to him, shook the slightly wrinkled paper, and looked at the contents again.
--The newspaper is folded in half, with text on both sides, and is divided into three main sections.
One aspect is reporting on important events within the Desinia Territory —such as urban development, changes in officials, and new policies.
The second section reports on practical tips, such as health preservation and disease prevention...
The third major section publishes serialized articles, stories, and other content.
Cyrus not only placed the first chapter of "Tales of the Gods 4" on it, but also some hymns praising the Creator God provided by church pastors.
Finally, the advertisement highlighted the key point. "We welcome anyone interested in writing stories to submit their work before the deadline. Please include your name, age, and home address."
If your submission is selected for publication in the newspaper, payment will be calculated based on the word count. The specific requirements and details for submission are as follows...
Before the suspension of operations, Reinog had a special iron submission box cast at Cyrus's request.
Within three days, the staff responsible for newspaper publication will use a key to unlock and retrieve the manuscript. Once a manuscript is selected, someone will be sent to notify the contributor and pay the fee...
This way, once "Tales of the Gods" is finished, there won't be any shortage of sequels, which can also indirectly encourage people's enthusiasm for learning to read.
Since the newspaper had just been launched, its reach was naturally limited.
The information that can be published is also fixed and limited to the Desinia Territory.
After all, some real-time updated information needs to be collected and investigated by people, and places far outside the territory are currently beyond our reach.
Cyrus's plan was to wait until the newspaper had gained some traction before discussing with Orville and Archibald the possibility of opening branches in the Achiyoli Territory and the Anas Kingdom.
Newspapers are further categorized by country and type of publication content.
He was unsure whether he should discuss this matter with His Holiness the Pope.
Unlike his alliance with Orville and Archibald, the Saint Airo Empire wouldn't easily allow outsiders to settle in, and besides, the Ed Merchant Guild existed within the empire... that's why he tricked them.
If Cyrus wants the Thorn Merchant Guild and the newspaper to enter the Saint Airo Empire, even with the help of the Nagabi Merchant Guild, it will definitely be maliciously blocked by the Ed Merchant Guild...
If conflicts arise, it will only bring trouble.
However, this matter cannot be abandoned.
The female protagonist Shamir Phoebe, is from the Saint Airo Empire, and the opening events of the novel take place there. What if the source of the pandemic is also...?
Cyrus didn't want to miss any possible information.
He finally decided to send a letter to His Holiness the Pope first. If he could get permission from the Holy See, the resistance to the Thorn Merchant Guild settling in the Saint Airo Empire would be much less.
After pondering for a while, Cyrus put down the sample newspaper in her hand, looked up, and asked, "Has there been any news from the Alchemy Tower recently?"
Judas shook his head. "No, lord."
Cyrus frowned.
Before the outbreak, all he could do was try to find the source and take preventative measures.
Even if it cannot be detected, adequate measures must be taken, and medicine and disinfection are indispensable. People's hygiene protection is an important way to resist the epidemic.
This makes disinfection even more important.
Simple disinfectants include soapy water and salt water, while more professional disinfectants include Iodophor, hydrogen peroxide, and alcohol.
However, medicines and disinfectants are not easy to manufacture; they require chemical methods and formulations, but raw materials and manufacturing tools are extremely scarce.
The sorcerers in the Alchemy Tower haven't made any progress yet, Cyrus understands.
Although he could exchange detailed production methods and steps from the System Library, even the most skilled cook cannot make a meal without ingredients, and the production of disinfectant could not be rushed.
Perhaps he should think of a different approach first...
More than a month later.
Newspaper boys carrying crossbody bags began to appear on the streets.
These newsboys all wore dark green jumpsuits, small hats, and red scarves, and carried bundles full of newspapers as they walked the streets to sell them.
"Newspapers for sale! Chapter 5 of ' Tales of the Gods 4 ' is out today! Get a sneak peek!"
Some passersby, upon hearing this, would wave to the newsboy, hand him a copper coin, and then take a newspaper from him.
The newsboy left with a grin, and after passing the soldiers patrolling the street, he would stop earnestly and give them a rather awkward salute.
Daina bought a newspaper and flipped directly to the third section to read Chapter 5 of "Tales of the Gods 4"...
He finished reading it in no time, sighed, and handed it to Mike beside him.
"Ever since newspapers came along, this story has been published a chapter every seven days... Ugh, that's never enough."
As Daina spoke, he pulled a Lemon Candy from the small pouch tied to his waist, popped it into his mouth, and puffed out one cheek, saying, "Mike, you haven't bought a newspaper yet, so here's mine. I don't care about the rest of the information anyway."
Mike took it and looked back as well. "Besides the Tales of the Gods, isn't there a newly published story? Aren't you going to read it?"
Daina shook his head with little interest. "A love story between a noble lady and a noble young master pretending to be poor is boring."
Mike found it quite interesting. He heard that the story was actually written by a young nobleman who went to experience life firsthand in order to study how the poor lived.
It seems that because of the care and authenticity of the writing, the lord selected it and published it in the latest issue of the newspaper, where it was quite well received.
He and Daina were on patrol in Visas this month when two newsboys ran past them. Mike called them over and bought them another newspaper.
Most of these newsboys were orphans living in orphanages. When the newspaper company posted a notice that it needed to hire newspaper sellers, they came voluntarily.
The lord issued a special order: the soldiers patrolling the city must always be vigilant in protecting the children's safety.
Daina, with a candy in her mouth, asked Mike why he was still buying a newspaper.
Mike: "Isn't Taylor currently stationed in Sero?"
"There aren't any newspapers for sale there yet. He asked me to buy all the newspapers he can't read during this time, so he can read them when he comes back."
Sero was a city in the former Gaina Kingdom.
The entire Gaina Kingdom is now part of Desinia's territory, and soldiers are frequently transferred between the two countries.
"I need to take this newspaper you gave me home too."
Mike's father had long been a loyal reader of the newspaper, wanting to hold it in his hands and read it every day.
Thinking about this, Mike sighed again.
--Their family were originally slaves, but everything changed when Visas began conscription.
He is now a company commander, and his father, who was once illiterate, can now read two or three lines of text smoothly...
Praise be to the Creator God! Thank you, Lord!
Mike silently recited a prayer for the lord in his heart.
He hoped every day that the lord would grow up safely and healthily. He had heard that newspapers had recently been published in the territory of Achiyoli Territory and the Anas Kingdom. Perhaps before long, he would be able to learn about the latest news from the other two territories through the newspapers that were delivered to him.
Mike folded the newspaper into thirds and tucked it into his pocket, his heart filled with anticipation.