Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 468: Publishing Censorship

“Achoo!”

Paul suddenly sneezed loudly, startling everyone present.

Embarrassed, he said, “Sorry, everyone, seems like some beauty is secretly thinking of me.”

“Ha ha!”

The lord’s joke made everyone laugh.

Then, Paul abruptly stopped laughing.

“Alright, now lift up your head.”

Paul, rubbing his hands together, looked at someone in front of him who was trembling with fear.

Sam Russo, shaking all over, forced his neck to lift his head up with all his might.

Slowly, the person who could decide his fate came into view.

Beside him were other important figures—the head of the Administration Council, Lord Ford, the Director of the Department of Public Safety, Lord Hayden, the Director of the Department of Intelligence, Lord Cecil, and the Chief Judge of the Lord’s Court, Lord Thomas.

My God! Is what I did so serious? So many important people gathered here.

Sam Russo, the owner of a printing factory, was suddenly knocked on by the police three days ago and then thrown into a cell.

He was a refugee who came to Alda a few years ago. At that time, Alda was just experiencing the rise of the printing industry due to the invention of the printing press. Sam, who could read, found a job as a typesetter in the government-run printing factory of the Administration Council. Sam was quick-witted and soon mastered the printing technology.

Later, as the printing presses began to be sold to the public and the Administration Council increased investment in cultural education, Sam saw an opportunity. He gathered some money with friends to buy several printing presses and started his own printing factory.

Over the next few years, his small factory grew bigger and bigger, and Sam, as the owner, successfully joined the ranks of the wealthy.

Just as his business was booming, a highly profitable deal came his way.

Several clients from Horn Bay came to him, all regulars. Sam’s factory had taken many orders from them, but previously they only printed novels and poetry. This time, however, it was a banned book.

Specifically, it was banned in Horn Bay, full of dirt on the Horn Bay Church, in both Horn Bay and Ordo languages.

The clients asked Sam to print this book for them, and the price was negotiable.

Initially, Sam was reluctant. Although the religious atmosphere in the Northwest Bay was relaxed, he didn’t want to get into trouble.

However, the money they offered was too much. So much so that Sam was sure if he refused this deal, he would regret it later, constantly asking himself, “How much money could I have made if I had taken that deal?”

Not wanting to torment his soul for the rest of his life, Sam reluctantly took the job.

And then things spiraled out of control.

After the first batch of books was shipped to Horn Bay and received positive feedback from the clients, there was a second batch, and then a third…

Sam’s initial doubts vanished amidst the clinking of silver coins.

He had convinced himself that where there’s no prohibition, there’s freedom. Lord Paul’s laws didn’t specifically forbid printing books attacking the Horn Bay Church. Besides, the books were about the dirt on the Horn Bay Church, which was thousands of miles away from the Northwest Bay Church.

Until one day, two uniformed men—police—knocked on the door of Sam’s office.

His actions were exposed.

After spending three anxious days in a cell, Sam was brought before Lord Paul Grayman of Alda.

“Sam, oh Sam, you’ve really embarrassed me in front of the Church,” said Paul, his tone unfriendly.

“Wise Lord, I… I won’t dare again,” Sam stammered, his legs giving way, falling to his knees, his voice filled with such sorrow that it evoked pity.

“I will donate more to the Church to cleanse myself of the sins I committed against the Lord of Light.”

Paul: “Er… that’s not necessary.”

“Is it over? Am I to be burned at the stake or hanged?”

Poor Sam Russo collapsed on the ground, weeping bitterly.

Seeing the printer owner in this state, Paul was speechless. Was this man so easily frightened?

After understanding the situation, it turned out that the printing factory that published the book was neither owned by the Grayman family nor the Administration Council. It seemed that the investigators from Horn Bay had mistakenly assumed all the printing factories in Alda were his properties.

Alright, time to end this joke.

“Sam Russo, I initially wanted to punish you, but after going through all the laws I’ve enacted, I surprisingly couldn’t find one applicable to your case,” Paul said.

“Ah?”

“Even if I were to create a new law for your case, I’ve always believed in the principle of ‘no retrospective laws,’ so I can’t punish you.”

Sam cautiously asked, “Does that mean… I… I’m in the clear?”

Paul nodded gently, “Theoretically… and realistically, yes, you’ve escaped this time.”

“Thank you, Lord Grayman! Thank you, Lord Grayman!”

Sam was almost crying with joy, continuously wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

“Sam Russo, do you want to continue making money?” the lord suddenly asked.

“Uh… Of course, as long as it doesn’t violate your laws.”

Paul smiled and said, “Haha, Sam Russo, you’re a good citizen, so I allow you to continue fulfilling your agreement with your clients.”

“Ah?”

Sam was somewhat stunned. The lord seemed not too concerned about whether the book blasphemed the Heavenly Father.

“I will arrange some people to go to your factory. Leave the matter of the book to them.”

Still confused, Sam was led away.

After all, following the lord’s arrangements was never a mistake.

The key was the lord’s last instruction—when asked about the book, just say you don’t know anything.

The room quieted down, and Paul looked around at the people present, saying, “If the Church asks about this book again, just say it was the doing of an underground printing press.”

“Yes, Lord Grayman.”

Everyone understood the hint.

Gathering these officials here was not just to deal with the printer owner.

Paul continued, “However, this incident has served as a reminder—we should establish some regulations for the printing or publishing industry and add some legal clauses to restrict it. I don’t want something truly embarrassing for me to appear on the market one day.”

“So, I’ve decided… Thomas.”

He called out.

“Yes, Lord Grayman!”

The Chief Judge stood up.

“Draft a charter for me to review.”

“Yes!”

Back then, the legislative body was just the king and the lords, which was indeed very convenient.

Paul turned to Lord Ford.

“Establish a publication censorship committee. All books must be reviewed by this committee before printing.”

“Put this Horn Bay book on the banned list by the publication censorship committee.”

“Of course, continue to do as I said earlier in secret.”

The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel