Chapter 94

Cyrus hopes to establish a newspaper publishing house and cooperate with it in the Achiyoli Territory and the Anas Kingdom —the newspaper publishing house will be responsible for printing, publishing, and subsequent distribution of the newspaper.

However, the content published, such as policies and current events, requires specialized personnel to collect, investigate, and screen it...

This task is best undertaken by the people of the Achiyoli Territory and the Anas Kingdom —by assigning dedicated interviewers and investigators to record events as they are learned.

This was my first job as a journalist.

In his letters to Orville and Archibald, Cyrus detailed the benefits of opening a newspaper office and publishing a newspaper.

--First, it facilitates the rapid dissemination of information; second, it enhances the cultural literacy and educational level of the general public; and third, it provides mass entertainment.

Newspapers are convenient to read as they are not limited by time, place, or tools.

In particular, some information is best viewed and understood in written form, which can also help people pass the time when they are bored...

Moreover, the diverse information and content published in newspapers helps people understand policies and popularize laws... The dissemination of newspapers can gradually influence people's thoughts and ideas.

Cyrus bit her pen and wrote down almost every benefit she could think of.

He sealed the letter and attached all the latest and most recent newspapers, tied them up, and put them in a wooden tube, which Qing Tuan carried to Orville and Archibald.

"Thank you for your hard work, Qing Tuan."

Cyrus touched the increasingly hard and sharp feathers on Qing Tuan's wings. The curve at the end of the feathers would cause a faint pain when it touched a finger. She estimated that if she pressed harder, it would cut a small wound on the fingertip.

"Chirp."

The Qing Tuan nuzzled affectionately against Cyrus's hand, then spread its wings and flew out from the wide windowsill, disappearing into the horizon in the blink of an eye.

Orville and Archibald replied quickly—they showed considerable interest in and agreed to start a newspaper office.

Especially Archibald.

He also sensed a keen business opportunity in Cyrus's description of "newsboys selling newspapers on the streets".

In his reply, he stated frankly that perhaps more young and strong civilians could be recruited to work as mail carriers or handle other light tasks while selling newspapers.

Of course, given the limitations of speed and distance, the maximum range a newsboy/messenger could deliver to could be limited to between two cities, and a fee could be charged based on the distance of delivery or the size of the item...

If Cyrus thinks this approach is good, they can discuss the specific details in detail later.

On the Western Continent, there are post stations at varying distances between countries.

--The post stations had professional messengers and envoys who were specifically used to deliver letters to the king or high-ranking nobles.

However, for more confidential correspondence, the king and nobles would not use the postal system; instead, they would send knights to deliver the letters in person.

Therefore, some long-distance post stations have almost fallen into disrepair.

Meanwhile, minor nobles, manor lords, and commoners would send slaves, traveling caravans, or day laborers to deliver letters.

When Cyrus finished reading Archibald's reply, she immediately opened her eyes in surprise.

Isn't this just same-city delivery? Archie's business acumen is just too sharp.

This method is indeed feasible, but many aspects need attention, such as personnel management, handling lost items, and preventing arbitrary charges.

Cyrus tapped the table in thought.

It would be better to set up a logistics and communication station directly, with newspaper sales and mail or parcel delivery services kept separate to avoid unnecessary trouble later.

He planned to draft a detailed plan and then have Qing Tuan deliver it to Archie.

In addition, to thank Orville for his help, Cyrus had Judas bring out a box full of felt toys.

The felt here can be considered his treasured collection, as it is all made from the hair that shed from Coalball Snowball when they were young, and the quantity is limited.

Cyrus picked and chose among the boxes.

He remembered that Orville had really wanted one last time, but he hadn't been willing to give it away. This time... he'd just give him a small felt blanket.

He is, after all, a kind and grateful person.

Cyrus picked out a black ball made of Coalball hair, only half the size of her palm, with two white dots on it that served as eyes—made from the few white stripes on the Coalball. She spent a long time sorting through them.

Cyrus thought for a moment, and it seemed that it was when the Coalball was small and its hair was short that it was plucked, and the amount was small.

Later, they gradually collected them, and when they got a little older, they no longer rolled them into black balls, but tied them into felt toys of little black tigers.

There are four or five of these black balls.

As Cyrus was lost in thought, Coalball curiously came closer.

The big head almost reached into the box and pulled out a felt blanket, but Cyrus snapped out of her daze, grabbed its ear, and pushed it away slightly. "No, you chewed up the last one."

Coalball Ball let out a soft, whimpering sound, its fluffy head gently bumping against Cyrus's shoulder, before being ruffled and rubbed.

Cyrus held up two black balls and waved them in front of Coalball's eyes. "Besides the Egg Yolk, you shed the most fur. These two are for giving away."

The Coalball sneezed and shook its big head nonchalantly.

After the letter was written, the gift was sent.

After letting Judas take the Egg Yolk out for a stroll, Cyrus lay down on the table and began analyzing historical plague events.

He asked himself, "098, could the plague at the beginning of the novel's plot have been the Black Death?"

After all, the Black Death was extremely famous and terrifying in the history of medieval Europe—the Plague known as the "Black Death" swept across almost the entire European continent.

At the time, fear spread throughout Europe, claiming nearly a third of the population.

Because medical and sanitation conditions were extremely backward, and the area was filled with garbage dumps, excrement, and smoke, the Black Death broke out suddenly and spread rapidly when no one was prepared.

The Black Death spread rapidly and had a swift onset...

Furthermore, people were initially unaware that this was a disease that could be transmitted through flea bites, skin, and saliva, resulting in a complete lack of awareness of prevention.

The Black Death gave people little time to react before it began to kill people relentlessly.

Once infected with the Black Death, people would gradually develop fever, vomit, and bruises on their skin until necrosis occurred... In the end, they would die very quickly, their corpses would develop black spots, and their deaths would be horrific.

While gathering information, Cyrus came across this description. "The entire city was like a ghost town, permeated with boundless fear and desolation; social disorder, moral decay, and a soaring crime rate..."

Patients die unnoticed in their homes, rotting corpses lie scattered on the streets or are simply buried in pits, piles of bodies form... and eventually, animals roam the streets unattended.

This description is too similar to the opening of the novel's plot, and both are set against the backdrop of a backward period in the West... Cyrus guessed that the disease that most likely caused the epidemic was the Black Death.

However, this cannot be concluded too definitively.

Because in addition to the Black Death in Europe, there were also Influenza and Smallpox, both of which were once the most serious infectious diseases in the West.

If the judgment is wrong, the cost will be even more lives lost.

Regarding Cyrus's speculation, 098 stated that there is a high probability that it is the Black Death, and another possibility is the Influenza.

The novel provides too little description of the symptoms of the epidemic and cannot provide definitive information, but he can take preventative measures based on hypothetical scenarios.

Cyrus wrote down the name of the Black Death and circled it, muttering to herself, "The Black Death is actually the Plague."

"Rats love living in dirty and unsanitary environments, where bacteria and viruses breed... It is evident that the massive outbreak and rapid spread of the Black Death were closely related to these unsanitary conditions..."

But people didn't realize this.

They placed their hopes on doctors, the Holy See, and prayers in the Bible... Later, they realized that diseases could be transmitted through the air, but their method of prevention was to spray water made with spices or water infused with rose petals into the air... in order to purify the air.

It's easy to see that no matter how much they spray or how fragrant the air becomes, it's all in vain.

Leaving aside the church and prayers to the Bible.

Medieval physicians at that time believed in the "theory of temperament."

The human body contains four fluids: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile—corresponding to the heart, brain, stomach, and liver, respectively.

These four liquids each have their own properties, and when they are not properly combined, they can affect people's health.

Therefore, medieval doctors generally believed that excess blood was the main cause of disease, and bloodletting became the most important treatment method.

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This resulted in a phenomenon where people who contracted the Black Death died faster under medical treatment.

The difference lies in whether one experiences more or less pain during death.

Fortunately, the doctors did have some medical knowledge.

Knowing they needed to treat patients in isolation from the Black Death, their duty as doctors led them to devise ways to approach the patients.

Therefore, doctors would wear wax-soaked linen robes from head to toe, completely covering themselves, and wear wide-brimmed hats, protective goggles, and masks shaped like bird beaks.

--The long bird-beak mask can filter the air, hence the name "bird-beak doctor".

If the epidemic is indeed possibly the Black Death, Cyrus can guarantee that the source of the disease will not be in the Desinia Territory, but elsewhere...

Who knows where the source of the disease might suddenly appear from...

Cyrus wrote "Saint Airo Empire" on the paper and drew circles on it—this is noteworthy.

He then analyzed the emergence and symptoms of the Influenza, and finally put the paper full of writing into the fireplace to burn. Watching the last bit of ashes extinguish, he sighed softly.

"098, the Plot Deviation Value by fifty percent. After the plot begins, will I still fall in love with the male lead due to uncontrollable factors?"

[No, host.]

Cyrus stroked her fair and tender neck and thought—that's good, away from idiots, beautiful on her own!