By the third day after the first issue of Voice of Freedom was released, 40,000 copies had been distributed.
That was despite Annan using a different strategy from the one he had used in the Northern Frontier, raising the price of the Magic Newspaper from ten copper coins to one silver coin.
That brought Free City a full... four hundred gold coins in revenue. Even after costs, three hundred gold coins remained!
But the Magic Newspaper did far more for Free City's reputation than the Magic Film had. If the Magic Film had made Annan's name, the Magic Newspaper had made Free City's.
There was a price, of course... To get the Magic Newspapers to every town on time, Annan had been pumped full of Magic Potions like a waterskin.
Holding his swollen belly, Annan told Evelyn, "For the second issue, we'll go back to normal, the way we did things in Star-Moon Bay."
Free City readers might find an issue devoted entirely to their city fresh and exciting the first time, but doing the same for the second and third issues would only cost Voice of Freedom its foundation. Beyond Wilhelm lay a crush of nations and territories, where coups, wars, and feuding brothers made sure there was never a shortage of news.
"Got it."
Evelyn walked past Annan with her hands behind her back, then suddenly patted his belly several times and ran off.
Abby, the maid coming in, glanced in confusion at Evelyn fleeing and Annan fuming, then told him Claire had come to visit.
She was the witch who had stayed at Evelyn's Tavern, kept a white cat, and loved to cook.
Annan went to the sitting room. Claire held her white cat in her arms, and today there was not a single cat hair on