Chapter 56: Papermaking

The brewing of distilled liquor and the distillation of alcohol were not things that could be accomplished overnight. It required prior preparation of fermentation mash and instructing craftsmen to create a large number of necessary vessels and tools.

Therefore, Bruno could only hope that the wounded soldiers would be able to endure a little longer. In the meantime, he planned to use existing tools to perform basic disinfection and bandaging.

To treat the wounded soldiers, Bruno had them gathered in one place and arranged for people to clean their living quarters daily.

The original housing for the soldiers was too simple and unsanitary, and cleanliness was a crucial factor in medical treatment.

Maintaining good hygiene could greatly reduce the risk of infections and complications.

In his previous life, hospitals were always filled with the smell of disinfectant for a reason.

Fortunately, the soldiers had worn armor during battle, so most had only suffered minor injuries. Otherwise, given the current conditions, Bruno might have had to start preparing funeral benefits.

Since the weather was still cold, the tents were tightly closed, making them poorly ventilated.

Despite the low temperatures outside, Bruno specifically ordered that the wounded soldiers' tents be aired out at regular intervals.

Additionally, the soldiers' personal clothing had to be washed and changed frequently.

Bruno also took the vinegar from the lord's castle and set up a pot inside the wounded soldiers' tent, mixing vinegar and water, then simmering it over a low flame continuously.

Many people were puzzled by Bruno's orders, but since they were commands from the Earl himself, they carried them out without question, even if they didn't understand.

Another issue with brewing distilled liquor was the supply of grain.

As everyone knew, making white liquor required a large amount of grain. However, in many places, even common folk struggled to have enough food to eat, meaning extra grain would have to be acquired from other nobles.

After all, the main reason serfs often went hungry was that the majority of their harvests were handed over to the landowning nobility.

Due to large-scale construction projects in recent times, Idar's food stores were not plentiful.

While there was enough for daily consumption, using some for brewing would be difficult.

Having just fought a war with Soren, Bruno didn't want to lower himself to buying grain from them.

Instead, he turned his attention westward, to the neighboring noble territory.

To the west of Idar was Tansan Town, the fief of Viscount Conte. Though it was not far away, the Armis Mountains made travel difficult, leaving only a small path through Thorns Valley as a connection.

Previously, the beets needed for sugar production were transported through Conte's domain and Thorns Valley to reach Idar.

While Idar had a hostile relationship with Earl Soren, it maintained a close bond with Viscount Conte.

One key reason for this was that Bruno's great-grandfather had been a close battle companion of the previous Viscount Conte, fighting together in the Empire's Third Northern Campaign.

"Lister, send some men to purchase grain from Viscount Conte," Bruno instructed.

"Grain?" Lister hesitated for a moment. "My lord, Idar's grain stores are still relatively stable. The fishing port delivers large amounts of seaweed and fish every day..."

"I need wheat and other staple grains. They will be very useful soon," Bruno explained.

"Oh, I'll send word immediately," Lister responded quickly.

"Go ahead." Bruno waved him off.

Aside from exchanging points for the distillation process, Bruno decided to redeem the papermaking technique as well.

Currently, this world only had parchment made from animal hides, which was incredibly expensive and highly inconvenient.

If he could introduce papermaking quickly, the profits would be immense.

White liquor and paper if both could be successfully produced, Idar's economic strength could rival some of the Empire's western Earldoms, or even some Marquisates!

The profits from these industries would fill Idar's coffers, eliminating financial worries.

Sugar and salt, liquor and paper—these four commodities would become Idar's signature industries and primary sources of income.

Unlike other items in the system shop, papermaking was available at three different price points: 10, 20, and 30 points.

The cheapest option was the papermaking technique from the Eastern Han Dynasty, which took the longest time and had the most complex process.

The most expensive option, at 30 points, was the fully developed papermaking method from the late Qing Dynasty, which was highly refined and efficient.

After some thought, Bruno gritted his teeth and chose the most expensive version.

A more advanced papermaking method would save labor, simplify the process, and allow large-scale production.

Moreover, compared to salt and sugar, Idar's biggest advantage in paper production was that it had no competitors.

Since Idar would be the only place producing paper, it would hold a monopoly on the market.

And what is the most profitable business?

Monopoly!

If you could monopolize a product, even something as simple as a screw could generate enormous profits. As the sole producer and distributor, you would have complete control over pricing.

After spending 30 points on papermaking, Bruno's remaining glory points dropped to 11.

Glory points were too damn easy to spend!

Building a wonder was painstakingly difficult, yet spending the points felt like pouring water out of a bucket it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Bruno couldn't help but curse.

But at least, the 30 point papermaking technique was leagues ahead of the cheaper 10-point version.

From material selection to production, the process had only five steps.

While some steps were still tedious, they were vastly simplified compared to older methods.

The raw materials for papermaking were also widely available. Depending on what was used, different types of paper could be produced. mulberry bark and hibiscus bark, could be used to make fine-quality paper .Bamboo fibers could be used to make bamboo paper. 

These were the most expensive and high-quality options.

But besides these, cheaper alternatives were also available: Wheat straw, bulrush, iris leaves, and reeds could be used to make coarse grass paper. Even sugarcane pulp could be used for papermaking!

With the monopoly on paper, Idar's future wealth was all but guaranteed!