They don't want me to try anymore.

In conclusion, Richard decided to put Luvia's overtures on hold and wait until he understood the situation before considering acting as a male prostitute for the country.

You claimed you would devote all your energy to running the newspaper, thereby canceling your recent swordsmanship training.

You quickly built an office and printing plant, and recruited a group of staff, but you didn't hire a famous figure in the arts as editor-in-chief, nor did you buy expensive drawing paper.

People in the industry, upon learning of your actions, all thought you were foolish and overconfident. They argued that you couldn't even afford to use good materials and had no chance of selling 10,000 newspapers—a feat achieved by only a handful of companies even in Idaril.

Jack went around announcing that he would win the three thousand gold coins bet and take over the printing press left behind after your defeat, which even caused his own stock to rise.

Finally, that day arrived.

Your first newspaper, named New Era, will be published simultaneously in several major cities across Virginia province.

However, apart from the organizations introduced by Nyon City and Luvia, not many people subscribe to your newspaper. They generally believe that your newspaper is of poor quality and contains empty and trivial content.

People all think you've lost the bet.

Jack has even started borrowing money to acquire your businesses and expand his operations.

Ha ha.

Richard scoffed and began to act.

Early in the morning, hundreds of newspaper boys you hired were running all over the streets and alleys.

They shouted loudly: "Newspapers for sale! Shocking! A secret 99% of people don't know! Men will be silent, women will weep! Even a foreign prince says he can't miss it!"

[In this era, no newspaper has ever tried street retail before, and many people have been drawn to you.]

Upon inquiry, people were surprised to discover that a copy of the New Era newspaper cost only one copper coin.

The incredibly low price, coupled with a series of shocks, made them unable to resist any longer, and they all pulled out their wallets.

Then they found out...

The so-called heart-wrenching news is actually just a story about an adventurer who, after returning to the mainland from Divine Grace Island, used his newfound wealth to seduce seven widows, each claiming it was true love. The story then unfolds after the widows unexpectedly meet, connect their ideas, and are exposed...

Hmph, I bet 99% of people don't know!

After reading this, you'll be silent!

Is my master a prince from another country?

Although they felt cheated, the people who bought the newspaper were not angry; on the contrary, they were attracted by the other content in the newspaper.

[The New Era newspaper is different from other newspapers. Its content is simple to understand, witty and humorous. It features both wonderful legends of adventurers from faraway places and interesting neighborhood stories that ordinary citizens who cannot afford servants care about, making it a captivating read.]

By the end of the day, all the newsboys had sold their newspapers.

Sales continued to rise on the second day.

[In just three months, without waiting for half a year, the sales of the New Era Daily exceeded 10,000 copies, leaving all its followers stunned.]

Your newspaper was a great success; you won the bet.

The following day, Jack declared bankruptcy.

You seized the opportunity to acquire their factory and personnel, and six months later, officially became the largest newspaper in Virginia Province.

Good start~

Richard patted his belly happily.

His strategy was actually very clear: to create a truly people's newspaper!

Traditional newspapers are too expensive and pretentious, and tabloids are simply not presentable, so let's take the middle road!

Try to reduce costs, expand channels through street retail, and make the content as accessible and eye-catching as possible. This was also the way that various commercial newspapers and magazines started in the past.

After initial success, you pressed your advantage.

You commissioned the development of a thinner, lighter sheet of white newspaper printing paper, further reducing the cost per copy while increasing advertising revenue.

Not only did you expand production capacity, you also added a novel and comics section—although the employees didn't understand what comics were at first, they quickly learned under your guidance.

[You've repackaged many of your past works and stuffed them into the new section, such as "The Silly Boy Learns Martial Arts for Five Years and Reaches the Top in Three," "My Dual Relationship with My Aunt," and "How to Choose Between a Guilty Conscience and Forcing It."]

You also created various rankings, such as the top ten clothing stores with the best craftsmanship, the most worthwhile restaurants to visit, the top 100 schools, etc., which attracted countless people to contact you...

Your reporters have gradually spread across the continent, greatly improving your news gathering speed. So much so that sometimes the Foreign Minister has to read your newspaper first to know what's happening in the world.

Your influence is gradually increasing.

Three years later, the New Era newspaper returned to the capital, Idaril, and became the Empire's largest-circulation newspaper, making you a true media mogul.

The first step of the plan is complete!

But then Richard started to run into trouble...

Some nobles accused you of slandering them in the newspaper and hoped to have the New Era newspaper banned. Local criminal gangs, after being exposed by you, instructed armed men to vandalize your branch offices. Many more competitors criticized your newspaper for its shoddy production and lack of civility.

Tsk, the bigger the tree, the more the wind blows.

But before Richard could come up with a solution, someone else solved the problem for him.

Luvia dispatches her followers to apprehend all the criminals who threaten you with violence.

At the same time, she made no secret of her support for your newspaper, confronting your critics head-on and leaving them embarrassed.

You also learned that she used the Cromwell family's influence to prevent your newspaper from being shut down several times.

Your affection level for Luvia has increased.

Ok.

This is an open strategy; we can't refuse it, and we should even thank them.

Just as Richard was about to do so, he discovered that Luvia's operation was not yet over.

Luvia moved to live near you.

[Given that you previously said you wanted to focus on your career, she didn't bother you while you were at work, nor did she force you to practice swordsmanship. Instead, she learned to cook and personally prepared a table full of hot dishes for you when you got home—it would be impolite not to eat any of it now, so you had no choice but to accept her kindness.]

Your affection level for Luvia has increased.

Besides cooking, she also tried knitting towels for you, wrote articles about her daily combat experiences for you to review and send out, and even spent a lot of money to create a new scabbard for the Ghostly Thorn sword for you...

Your affection level for Luvia has increased significantly.

Richard remained silent.

Firstly, these good intentions are all calculated, not the kind of gifts like flowers or money that can be easily rejected—a scarf knitted by a woman herself, refusing it might cause a falling out.

Secondly, he...

I was somewhat moved by Luvia.

It's not difficult to stick to one thing in a simulation, but it still takes effort to do things comprehensively.

Besides, Luvia's current state is so different from the cold-faced swordswoman she used to be!

While it's possible that his hidden yandere tendencies are kicking in... the saying goes, sincerity begets sincerity, and Richard isn't stupid; he can't ignore Luvia's efforts...

You gradually reduced your deliberate avoidance of Luvia.

the other side.

It was successful?

Luvia breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest lightly, her breasts suddenly appearing as if gathered together, her waves surging like fury.

Indeed, it was effective to be persistent and put yourself in Richard's shoes!

The basement and the chains can wait; they might not be needed anymore...

However, we cannot let our guard down yet!

Luvia vaguely remembered that Alice in the south had almost all succeeded during the same period.

My progress is still too slow!

Luvia, Luvia, you need to try harder!

You must support Richard in whatever he needs!

Richard's side.

Since he could no longer delay Luvia, he had to start making arrangements in the imperial political arena earlier.

After gaining a full understanding of the situation, he realized what it meant to...

What a mess.

In general, the aging Emperor Norton I sits at the top, with the conservatives and progressives below him.

The former, led by Chancellor of the Exchequer Lauren Tolly, primarily represented the interests of the Imperial civil service and the traditional landowners of the North, advocating for the avoidance of large-scale wars, the improvement of domestic affairs, and the prevention of encirclement by neighboring countries.

The latter, led by former naval marshals (the position of marshal is not established in peacetime) and commanders of the Gulf and Highlands legions, mainly represented the interests of the Imperial Army, Southern multinational corporations, and emerging elites, and advocated actively launching wars.

It looks alright?

However, upon closer examination, the two sides exhibit a classic, unfortunate pattern of mutual interference.

For example, because the conservatives included a large number of northern landowners, many army officers from the north also joined them. These people were not entirely opposed to the war; they only opposed moving south, but supported using force in the north and the eastern steppes.

This leads to the distinction between the northward and southward factions, and even the army and navy factions.

To elaborate further, the current empire has two powerful princes, the eldest and the second. The former is more stable and the latter is more ambitious. Their respective maternal families also have influence. Naturally, they play a game of permutation and combination with officials above and below, which has given rise to the eldest prince faction and the second prince faction.