Chapter 148: Great Expectations
Greed stood quietly to the side. He did not speak, simply watching Kaito.
The Supreme Sovereign of the Empire was currently throwing himself into his new literary career with a fervor that bordered on mania. The quill danced between Kaito's finger bones, moving with such frantic velocity that it left a blur of afterimages in the dim light of the study.
Watching the Master—who usually radiated an aura of divine stillness—act so human, Greed fell into deep thought.
He truly could not comprehend it.
Why did the Master never show this level of high-voltage enthusiasm when dealing with the mountains of administrative reports? Why had he never looked this radiant when planning the Empire's hundred-year strategic roadmap?
And yet here he was, scribbling a story that sounded—to Greed's ears—utterly absurd.
Kaito's entire Soul Fire was pulsing with signals of pure, unadulterated joy.
Greed couldn't categorize this behavior into any known "Sovereign-level" tactical pattern. But... he found that he didn't exactly dislike this version of his Master.
Meanwhile, Kaito was completely lost in his own world.
He wrote at breakneck speed. Memories that had been locked away since his arrival—the classic tropes and clichéd plot points that had accompanied him through countless nights in his previous life—were now surging out like a flood through a broken dam.
As he reached a particularly "hype" scene, Kaito couldn't help but let out a rattling, triumphant "Gah-hah-hah!"
This! This is what the masses actually want!
EPIC epics? Prince's revenge? Too heavy! Too depressing!
Life is already a grind; why not give them something easy and fun?!
Finally, after finishing the chapter where the protagonist is bundled up by a goddess and tossed into a newbie village—only to end up hauling bricks at a construction site because he's broke—Kaito set the quill down.
He let out a long, satisfied exhale, despite having no lungs. He picked up the sheets of ink-drenched parchment, carefully blowing on the wet script. Then, with a look of intense expectation—and perhaps a bit of showmanship—he thrust the pages toward Greed.
"Well, Greed?! What do you think?!"
"Behold! This is the 'Joy' I was talking about! This will revolutionize the spiritual life of my subjects!"
Greed extended his hands, receiving the pages with the reverence one might show a holy relic. He began to read. He read with meticulous, clinical focus.
For several minutes, the only sound in the office was the faint, rhythmic crinkle of parchment.
Kaito paced back and forth, feeling like a student waiting for a test result. He was vibrating with a mixture of nerves and excitement.
Can the people of this world grasp the appeal of a 'trash-tier' Isekai? Will they think it's too low-brow? What if Greed thinks it's hot garbage?
After an eternity, Greed finally lowered the manuscript. Kaito lunged forward, his empty sockets staring intensely.
"And?! Is it a masterpiece?! Is it a work of creative genius?!"
Greed lifted his head, meeting Kaito's gaze with a look of profound analytical seriousness. "Reporting to the Master: I have conducted a preliminary deconstruction."
"From a structural standpoint, it completely shatters the linear growth model of traditional Hero Epics. It utilizes a... narrative pattern I have never seen before, driven primarily by 'accidental coincidences' and 'absurd irony.'
"The protagonist's initial behavior is remarkably impulsive, lacking any discernible long-term strategic objective. However, based on my understanding of mass psychology, this 'unpredictability' is a brilliant hook. It creates a state of perpetual expectation—the reader is forced to keep turning the page just to see what kind of stupidity the character will commit next."
Kaito nodded frantically. Yes! Exactly! You get the "Narou" vibe!
Greed continued without pause. "Furthermore, the characterization of the 'Goddess' is a total subversion of established mythology. She is a cocktail of sloth, idiocy, and avarice. Rather than acting as a divine benefactor, she serves as a constant source of systemic friction for the protagonist. This 'Negative-Buff Teammate' trope is... highly innovative."
Greed paused, searching for a summary. "In conclusion, My Lord... the story is strikingly novel."
"Based on my assessment, it possesses the potential to become a 'Viral Hit.' The target demographic is near-infinite due to the low barrier for reading comprehension. It provides a powerful 'Mental Anesthetic'... excuse me, I mean it provides profound 'Spiritual Relaxation'."
As Greed spoke, Kaito's Soul Fire burned brighter and brighter.
Sure, Greed was using professional jargon—"logic failure," "negative buff," "anesthetic"—but Kaito knew exactly what he was actually saying.
He's praising me! From a professional, 360-degree, zero-blind-spot angle!
"A soulmate! Greed! You are truly my soulmate!"
Kaito began pounding Greed's shoulder with his bony hand, the impacts making a series of loud clack-clack sounds. "I knew it! I knew my vision was correct!"
Kaito's vanity had reached its peak. He strode to the wall map with heroic flair, gesturing toward his dominion.
"Pass my decree! This book! Immediately! Take it to the printers!"
"I want every resident of Iron Fortress to have a copy in their hands! I'm going to trigger a Novel-Tsunami!"
Kaito whirled back to Greed, holding up four skeletal fingers.
"Initial print run! Give me four million copies!"
The air in the office solidified.
Greed stood perfectly still, silent for a full fifteen seconds. Kaito stared at him, his Soul Fire flickering with growing impatience.
"What? Did you stutter? I said four million! Not a single copy less!"
For the first time, a note of genuine difficulty entered Greed's voice. "Master..."
"Calculating by the Empire's current pinnacle of printing technology—the Royal Foundry's highest efficiency... to print, proofread, ink, and bind a three-hundred-page volume... the fastest we can move is three days per book."
"Four million copies... assuming every workshop runs twenty-four hours a day without cease, and disregarding all material wear-and-tear or unforeseen accidents..."
"...It would take approximately thirty-two thousand, eight hundred and fifty-seven years."
Kaito's expression (and his four fingers) froze mid-air.
Thirty-two... thousand years?
Are you kidding me?! By then, the sun would have gone cold eight hundred times over!
In his previous life, webnovel platforms updated tens of millions of words a day. A physical book could go from the press to the shelf in a week! How had his "Cultural Enlightenment" plan turned into a multi-millennial epic project before it even started?
Kaito felt his grand design for national revitalization dying in the womb. He looked at Greed's apologetic face and felt a wave of powerlessness.
No! I won't let it end like this!
Kaito snapped his hand back and slammed it onto the desk, sending a stack of tax reports flying.
"Technology is a bottleneck, yes—but it is not a reason to surrender!"
"Start the presses! Now! Activate every workshop we have!"
"Print as many as you can manually!"
Kaito began pacing in circles, his Soul Fire flashing rapidly as his "Modern Soul" brain went into overdrive.
"As for the printing technology..."
He skidded to a halt, glaring at Greed with a manic intensity.
"I will solve it myself!"
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