Infinite Reincarnation – Arthur Hurt - Chapter 137



Only Noblemtl

Episode 137

26-Noble

Hmm. Now that I think about it, maybe it’s better to just leave it like this? Or maybe I should leave it to Cho-reng.

Maybe it feels like it would be more natural and lead to more positive results if I made friends who are also musicians?

When Arthur brought up Amelia’s story while meeting with Cho-reng to discuss business, Cho-reng responded with great approval.

“The exchange of musicians is important. But it would be better to be a musician or composer than a singer.”

“Are there any female musicians?”

“It’s not much, but it’s not nothing. Leave that part to me. I have to do the legwork for Amelia’s growth. By the way… … This perforated music box is amazing.”

Cho-reng punched holes in a long piece of paper, put it in the prototype Arthur had brought, and turned the handle around in admiration. Could it be said that this was an object that had almost completely overcome the limitations of disc-type music boxes?

The disadvantage of the music box was its short playing length. Of course, the size of the cylinder or disc could be increased, but the problem was that the larger the size, the higher the production cost and consumer price.

However, the perforated music box could play continuously for the length of the paper by using a long piece of paper with holes punched in it.

It was also possible to play it repeatedly by connecting the beginning and the end to make it into a loop shape.

Arthur replied.

“It will be very different from existing music boxes.”

So there was a problem. If the length of the perforated paper was long, it was difficult to regenerate it using only the power of the mainspring.

Not only that? It is similar to a disk music box, but since paper is weak, if the pin system of a disk music box was used as it is, the paper could tear. So this pin structure also had to be a little different from that of a disk music box.

For these two reasons, the mechanism of the perforated music box was slightly different from that of the existing music box, so this change would be a big hit with the kids who copy disk music boxes.

“It will sting quite a bit.”

Since we don’t use mainsprings and discs, the mainspring and disc manufacturing lines will be left unused and will become a burden, and since we don’t have the know-how for pin structures, we will end up producing defective products that often tear the paper.

It would have required a great deal of delicacy and sophistication to make it work with perforated paper rather than metal plates.

When I think about it, it’s really strange. Even though Johnson Cordelli is trying hard to crack down on it, copies keep coming out. It’s not like Johnson Cordelli is being lax about his work. It’s just that, considering the level of awareness of law-abiding people in this day and age, it’s only natural, right?

Anyway, the perforated music box was not originally intended to dominate the domestic market. It was prepared as a bait to be fed to illegal copycats in overseas markets. Anyway, the key was not the music box’s market share.

“What about paper?”

“Do you really have to give me the job right now?”

Samuel, who was already busy printing scalars, looked at Arthur with bleary eyes.

Arthur replied.

“It’s just a matter of securing a little more paper.”

The perforated music box uses paper. Naturally, the demand for paper would increase. So it was quite reasonable to ask Samuel, who currently manages a paper factory that prints banknotes, to secure paper.

This may sound harsh to Samuel himself, but does he think increasing production is that easy?

He protested.

“Just buy any paper and use it!”

It would be possible to use moderately tough paper cut to size.

The perforated discs sold by Mato Trading Company, which only work with paper, were bound to be outdone by perforated discs that could be used with any type of paper, so Arthur created a perforated music box that could be used with any suitable paper.

Instead of giving up a little bit of advantage, why not spray some weed killer in advance to prevent potential competitors from sprouting easily?

Arthur spoke calmly to Samuel, who was complaining about the heavy workload.

“You can’t just put the original on any paper, right?”

“Authentic?”

Arthur explained an important point of the business plan of the Sky Orgel to the puzzled Cho-reng.

He said that the perforated music box would become a more serious business selling records than the disc music box.

In this day and age, when there is nothing to do, people who buy a music box with a skylight will turn it over and over again. This means that content consumption will be intense.

And when consumption becomes excessive, it is natural for humans to seek out ways to reduce costs. In other words, they naturally seek out illegal copies.

“But human psychology is so strange that people want to have a good copy of the song they like or the music of their favorite composer.”

So it was genuine. A perforated sheet music made of paper that was tough and of high quality, enough to be used for banknotes. What if the composer’s signature and words of thanks were printed on it? There would probably be someone who would buy one. No, they would definitely buy one.

“If you want to punch the same hole in another piece of paper, you need the original.”

And I was thinking of making and selling a hole puncher that would fit it perfectly. I was also discussing with the guild and preparing a side plan to produce a ‘ja’ that would allow people to make their own perforated music scores using the lines used to punch holes on existing discs, so that they could make holes in precise locations. Because the demand for discs would decrease.

“And since that will sell a lot of paper, isn’t it obvious advice to increase paper production?”

Cho-reng, who was listening to Arthur’s words from the side, stuck out his tongue, and Samuel felt wronged.

“There’s… there’s… too much work.”

Even though I have a lot of work to do, if I don’t proceed with Arthur’s plan after hearing it, would that mean I’m disqualified as a merchant?

“Tsk tsk. You still don’t have anyone?”

“You only ask me to do things that require security!”

“Tch. Then you should have raised someone you can trust a long time ago. It’s not too late, so start raising someone now.”

“… … .”

Samuel’s eyes were terrifying as he looked at Arthur, who was losing his appetite. Arthur quickly avoided his gaze.

It was hard for Arthur to forgive a brat who only gave work to do and didn’t help at all.

Arthur turned his head to Cho-reng for no reason.

“Now that that’s done, please contact the composer, Cho-reng.”

“Can we just use that contract from last time?”

“yes.”

Arthur nodded. Samuel described it as a semi-blank contract. It was a contract that didn’t have any specific job descriptions, but only listed the deposit to be paid.

Although it was a contract with a high potential for abuse, it was also something that had to be done to maintain the security of the ongoing business.

Normally, no human would sign a piece of paper like this, but thanks to Cho-reng’s credit, it was able to go ahead.

He was a theater owner who went bankrupt because of his obsession with music, but he was eventually successful in making a comeback. He was a musician with a reputation for being sincere about music, and he was highly trusted by musicians because he emptied his family fortune and paid his employees, including the musicians, their last salaries even though the theater was going under.

“By the way, are you busy today?”

When Arthur asked about the person who was not visible today, Samuel also tilted his head.

“That’s right. He’s someone who never breaks time… … ”

Such a grown-up’s character was thoroughly applied even during regular meeting times.

The answer came from an unexpected place.

“I heard that guy is dating someone?”

“……yes?”

“And that too with a beauty 16 years younger than me.”

“Wait a minute! That means you’re 19!”

Samuel screamed at Cho-reng’s words. Jaran is 35 years old. So if there is a 16 year age difference…

“You’re a thief!”

“Well, there’s nothing you can’t say to your uncle.”

Samuel felt wronged when Cho-reng was hit.

“You want me to take care of an aunt who is younger than me?!”

“It’s not uncommon to find a genealogy that twisted.”

“That would be something for a nobleman or something!”

Samuel objected. The nobles, for whom political marriages are a given, would proceed with it even if the genealogy was a little tangled, thinking of the benefits they would gain from it.

But Cho-reng was not easy.

“Isn’t it the same for commoners? As far as I know, it’s trendy for rich bourgeois men to have young wives?”

Arthur nodded at those words. It seemed that rich and capable men tend to prefer younger women.

But Arthur expressed one concern.

“Since ancient times, there have been more than a few men who fell for women and ruined their families.”

“I can’t imagine my grown uncle doing that?”

Isn’t he a person who has always been a thoroughgoing perfectionist and eventually became an executive at Mato Trading Company?

But Arthur nitpicked on one thing.

“But you didn’t show up for the meeting today. You didn’t even call to say you were late or couldn’t come because of something.”

“… … .”

“They say that if a person changes suddenly, they die… … .”

“What kind of ominous words are those?!”

Samuel jumped at Arthur’s mumbling words.

“That means I’m that worried.”

“Ahem! Sorry for worrying you so much.”

As they say, even a tiger will come when called, and Jarani opened the door slightly and revealed his face.

“Uncle!”

Perhaps because he had heard Arthur’s ominous words, Samuel quickly got up and approached Zarran.

“No?! 16 years younger!”

It seemed that the reason he was anxious was not because of his uncle’s personal concerns, but because of that.

Jaran betrayed Samuel’s expectations and avoided his gaze as if embarrassed, and Samuel sat down in his seat with a vain expression and lowered his head toward the floor.

The pledge of single-mindedness that I had kept to myself was broken. I was comforted by seeing my uncle and knowing that I was not alone… …

While Samuel was pondering alone about what life is and what a woman is, Arthur was calm.

“A political marriage?”

Jarani got angry.

“No!”

Arthur nodded, looking at Jaran with a sad look in his eyes as if he understood.

“Well, I guess a successful man needs a trophy wife.”

“That’s not it either!”

Arthur was a man who protested as if screaming, but he was a worn-out man, so he was even more skeptical.

“If you take away success and ability from a successful man, what do you have left?”

“What’s left?”

The one who responded was Cho-reng.

“An old man.”

“… … Story… … .”

Cho-reng shook his head as if he was tired, and Jaran refuted with a look of utter resentment.

“You became successful at a young age, didn’t you?”

That’s an exceptional case.

“Then why didn’t you get married a long time ago? Why now?”

Arthur tried to evade Jaran’s attempts to dilute the topic by nitpicking.

“Ahem! I’m busy with work… … ”

“It seems like you are now satisfied enough to start looking around.”

The man had an extroverted side.

It’s not like everyone, but there are definitely people who don’t easily look away until they’ve achieved their goals. In other words, men who have achieved their goals, successful men, have the luxury of looking away.

Indeed, as the distribution and use of Scalonization gained traction, Jaran must have felt his position in the trading world rising vertically, and it was probably a much greater success than he had ever dreamed of.

It must have been quite a shock when the person he had targeted once visited and politely asked about a Scalon loan.

At this point, a sense of satisfaction that you have succeeded enough begins to develop, and then a sense of reward naturally arises. This level of success requires a corresponding reward, which means the existence of a trophy wife becomes necessary.

“What kind of woman are you?”

“She is a pretty and kind woman.”

“Of course.”

He couldn’t bring himself to say the word ‘young’, so he decided to just ignore it for the sake of saving face. Arthur was curious about the background of the couple.

“What kind of family do you come from?”

“See? I said there are more commoners?”