Panting with effort, Harbin closed the curtain of the carriage window, returning to his seat, eting Theodora's interested gaze with composure.
"Is the Holy Arrival Hall the Salvation Army's lordly stronghold in Joan of Arc Castle?" With her head and face veiled by gray gauze, Theodora revealed a glimpse of her white chin beneath the veil.
"Depends on how you define it." Harbin shrugged, "The Saint Son works here, the archives and accounting rooms are also here. If you wish to inquire about anything, it's still best to do it here."
"I just saw many monks dressed in similar attire here. If you don't mind... is there so significant matter happening?"
"We're all here to attend the Imperial Cardinal Conference."
Theodora blinked in surprise: "It seems our Mr. Dwarf holds a significant position within the Salvation Army."
"Hahaha." Harbin laughed, shaking his head, "I joined early, even before the Battle of Pavia, so I know a lot of people. Miss Theodora, what brings you to ?"
"You previously helped with my introduction to the hospital and arranged for treatnt for my back sore. I would like to treat you to a al as a token of gratitude." Theodora pushed a bag of coins towards Harbin.
Harbin's smile froze slightly but quickly returned: "A al is acceptable, but I'll pass on the money."
Theodora scrutinized Harbin for a mont to ensure he wasn't being insincere before taking back the bag of coins: "I guess that was tacky of ."
"I do like money, but I can't accept it this way," Harbin silently added to himself, especially not before the upcoming conversation.
Upon arrival, Harbin jumped off the carriage and imdiately saw the large characters of "Duke's House."
Stepping elegantly onto a small footstool, holding onto Mo Enstein's hand, Theodora also alighted from the carriage.
Stepping on the damp stone bricks, looking up at the sign before her, she laughed, "Though grandiose in na, the chefs here do have quite the skill.
The flavors they create indeed have the touch of a duke's chef. At least, I've never tasted such flavors in another restaurant.
But I don't understand why they don't open the third-floor private rooms."
Harbin cleared his throat: "Because the chef here is indeed from Duke Kush's household. After the Duke Kush was beheaded, he ca out to start this little place.
The third floor isn't open because it's reserved for hosting the Imperial Cardinals and foreign guests."
Theodora paused noticeably in her stride: "Just because of a decree, the chef has to keep the third floor vacant?"
"It's not a decree." Keeping pace with his short legs behind Theodora, Harbin nodded at the doorman, "The Pope Country has shares in this tavern, and His Holiness is a major shareholder."
"Then why didn't he keep the chef in his own house and instead have him outside?" Theodora found it hard to comprehend.
"Master Wan is frugal, what does he eat? Just pies and black tea, really." Harbin muttered, keeping his eyes off Theodora's backside, "His Holiness said, rather than collecting dust at ho, might as well earn revenue outside, pies taste good, why change that?"
Theodora couldn't help but giggle walking ahead.
They say Saint Son Horn is of farr origin, she wouldn't believe it.
How could a farr possibly sweep through the southeast of Thousand River Valley in half a year, defeating decrees, churches, and Nidesar into disarray?
Yet a place like this restaurant made Theodora believe it a bit, such relentless money-making had an old farr's style.
Under the guide of the attendant, they went up to the second floor, took their seats, and each ordered a pepper steak and red wine.
Bonato and others sat at another nearby table, ordering plenty of bread, at rolls, and cheese.
"To be honest, besides thanking you, I'm also hoping you could help us once more by inviting you to this al." Fastening her napkin, Theodora elegantly placed her hands on her lap.
"Help with what? Just say it, I'm here to help to the end." Harbin swung his short legs casually.
"We want to set up a local establishnt, but it takes a year to gain residency, do you have any ways around it?"
"Simple." Harbin snapped his fingers, "As long as you show the strength of investnt, the residency departnt will approve you. I can introduce you tomorrow."
"What counts as investnt strength? Buying your Holy War Bonds?"
Harbin's eyes rolled slyly: "Strength... ha, I tell you, if you're willing to participate in His Holiness's new industry, with my guarantee, you won't even need to buy Holy War Bonds."
"A new industry? What new industry?" The Norn people don't have as much disdain for artisans as they do in the west, they're more than willing to be involved in the so-called 'lowly trades'.
"The printing industry."
Introducing the printing industry to Theodora wasn't just blurted out by Harbin.
His basis for saying this was inside the lacquered box he held.
According to the reports from this conference, the paint guild and printing guild presented their result reports.
The printing guild, based on the Saint Son's simplified letters, designed a set of moveable type casting technology.
To be precise, this printing and casting technology wasn't invented by so relief artisan but by a mint worker nad Akyu.
This thod was once used in the mint to cast coin press molds.
As for why the seasoned intaglio engravers didn't co up with it, Harbin suspected they did it on purpose.
After all, if movable type printing expands, their inco would likely decrease significantly, and competition would beco fierce.
They simply couldn't challenge the Saint Son's army, thus they outwardly complied while secretly opposing.
Simply put, this thod involved placing engraved copper plates underneath, erecting a fist-thick clay circle around it.
Then pouring in molten lead-tin, forming a 20 cm long type mold.
After slightly grinding off the burrs and edges, it would be ready for use.
Because the script used by the Empire is phonetic, not two-dinsional but one-dinsional.
Thus, the typesetters do not need to recognize characters, they just need to sort the letters one by one, which greatly enhances feasibility.
So the first step of movable type printing feasibility is completed, leaving only paper, ink, and the spiral printing press.
Only when all four are complete can movable type printing possibly replace relief printing.
The ink has now been developed. The formula provided by the Holy Grandson was roughly correct, but it lacked an egg white.
The ink produced from a mix of lampblack, linseed oil, and egg whites pairs wonderfully with lead type.
Of course, due to technical defects, its letters may be slightly misaligned, the print may be sowhat blurry, and the stability of printing is not as good as relief printing.
But it has the advantage of convenience and large volu, a set of movable type can be used thousands to tens of thousands of tis, while a relief plate can manage up to a thousand tis.
Engraving a complete relief plate takes days to weeks, whereas this movable type arrangent only takes hours.
Especially when printing various books or mass production, it reduces a lot of repetitive labor.
As for paper and the spiral printing press, the forr can be managed with old technology to so extent, and the latter, His Holiness only rembered it applied the principle of an oil press, but still does not know exactly how to make it.
The spiral printing press has yet to be designed, but under full manual operation, although a bit troubleso, it can still be used.
Currently, His Majesty Saint Sun is planning to establish a movable type casting house and a printing workshop.
The forr would manufacture movable type ink and printing machines, the latter would mass-produce textbooks, Holy Path Salvation instructions, manuals for incoming and outgoing docunts, yearbooks, newspapers, and other books that need large-scale printing and constant updates.
However, there's a problem; a set of movable type capable of printing with punctuation costs about 60 to 80 pounds of gold.
To recover the cost, it requires printing thousands of tis, only after which real profitability begins.
This is new craftwork, currently no one has confidence in it, so apart from Horn himself, no wealthy rchant dares to invest money.
Especially those engravers in the printing guild, who on the surface obey but secretly obstruct.
Before the Salvation Army Governnt employs movable type printing to replace this group of engravers, they cannot lay a heavy hand on them, and can only stall first.
So apart from the official printing workshops, Horn hopes there's also so private sector supplentation, which could save a lot of money and manpower.
For Harbin, after the giant spider silk project consud hundreds of pounds of gold without any results, he urgently needs a new achievent to prove himself.
Harbin is too eager to progress, he also wants to live in a row house, a big house, with a dedicated car every day picking him up.
Facing these few people, after traveling north and south, he imdiately recognized them to be rich and naive Norn people.
As for these Norn people, they are not afraid of the local printing guild at all.
Their guilds have armies!
This guild-like form of unlimited underworld tactics makes Norn people have no psychological barriers to stealing technology and sabotaging the market.
The dwarves who highly value trust have been outmaneuvered several tis by the Norn people.
But for the reformist dwarf Harbin, despite Theodora being a Norn, they are also the best investors.
Outsiders, not afraid of the guild.
Booksellers, have relevant industry experience.
Simply too perfect, back then when he put on a smile and greeted them, he was waiting for this day.
After listening to Harbin's account, Theodora did not continue speaking but instead imrsed herself in cutting her black pepper steak.
After swallowing the steak in her mouth, she picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth and then asked, "Are these news considered insider information?"
"If you wait three to five days, you'll be able to see it on the city's bulletin board." Harbin is chewing on beef, crumbs flying everywhere, "Maybe the bulletin on the board will be printed using movable type printing."
New printing technology? Theodora silently finished the remaining half of her steak before putting down her knife and fork.
This technology sounds good, but is the craft truly as reliable as this dwarf claims?
"I can vouch for you, you only need to pay for one set, and you can get two sets of movable type."
Harbin imdiately grasped Theodora's thoughts: "I can get you so literacy textbook orders; you don't even need a place; I can find a free workshop for you at Gray Furnace Town.
The housing issue you ntioned, I dare guarantee, if you put your printing workshop in Gray Furnace Town, the Town Mayor will give you a fine residence for free."
"Sir Harbin, I greatly appreciate your kind invitation and am willing to give it a try." Theodora sipped so red wine, "But what do you get out of it?"
As the Comrce Departnt Industrial Temple Supervisor of the Gospel Court, Harbin grinned: "Your participation in it gives what I want, this is a win-win, co, I propose a toast."
Draining the wine in the glass, Harbin's face flushed.
Take the challenge, colleagues!
You bunch of blockheads who don't know to gather information or have no connections.
The index hasn't been issued yet, but I've completed it in advance.
What do you call seniority, what do you call loyalty, what do you call implentation? Harbin leaned back onto the soft pillow.
Failures, what do you have to fight with ?
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