Chapter 66 - 66 Sound Sleep
Today, Steve was summoned by Aurora. In terms of current standing, Aurora should have visited Steve, but practically speaking, it was faster for Steve, who could teleport, to move.
And the communication used for that summons employed mirrors and light. There was no sending envoys back and forth like before; contact was made truly quickly.
"Good day, Lord Sowell. Before your beauty, even blooming roses would feel ashamed."
"You're still good with words, Your Excellency. If you use your charms too much on other women, your fiancée might run away."
"I appreciate your concern. So, what is the matter?"
"There are increasing merchants suspected of being spies from the Empire. I want you to be careful. Merchants aiming to travel to Archibalt Territory are contacting Emmanuel Trading Company and Oclair Trading Company. Among them, there were trading companies involved with the Empire's intelligence department."
The Empire was also investigating the cause of the Kingdom of Cascade's development and had reached Archibalt Territory. However, they had not reached further than that and were trying to somehow infiltrate Archibalt Territory.
In Archibalt Territory, which had the momentum to crush flying birds, there were many merchants wanting new transactions, but Brian had no intention of increasing new trading companies, so merchants could not negotiate directly. Thus, they begged Emmanuel Trading Company and Oclair Trading Company to act as an intermediary.
Merchants from the Kingdom of Forest, due to bordering the western region, had come as far as Sowell Land seeking new transactions. They were showing such movements, and now merchants from the Empire had joined in.
In response to this movement, Emmanuel and Oclair reported the visit of Empire merchants to Aurora. Then, when Aurora investigated the background, it turned out the Empire's intelligence department was connected. Although Aurora grasped this, she deliberately did nothing, only ordering them not to trade.
However, thinking this should be put into Steve's ears, she contacted him this way.
"Thank you for the information. However, since it is Lord Sowell, this information cannot be free of charge."
"Oh my, you're always so bad. Even though I haven't asked for payment."
Saying that, Aurora had no reason to provide information for free. There was always calculation behind it.
Even if there was no information this time, she thought Steve would spot the spies. However, by conveying the information first, she thought Steve, who dislikes owing debts, would give some return favor.
What Aurora wanted most was the Steam Locomotive and new rails, but that was disproportionate as a return for this information.
Next she wanted High-Class Glass, but regarding the portion given to nobles of active factions to show her authority, she had already obtained it from Steve. It was something that didn't need immediate addition.
So, deliberately not making a request, she decided to measure the degree of gratitude by what Steve would offer.
Steve worried about what to return to Aurora. Then, seeing Aurora's face enjoying watching him worry, he realized fatigue was accumulating. Then he thought of something.
"Lord Sowell, do you sleep well at night?"
"Work is piling up, and there are many worries, so there are days I can't sleep well either."
"In that case, how about a Spring Mattress?"
To the unfamiliar word, Aurora asked Steve for an explanation.
"I'm hearing this for the first time. What kind of thing is it?"
"Well, there's nothing that uses springs in a mattress, is there?"
Steve had not used a bed in his previous life, so he hadn't thought of it until now. However, if sleeping in a bed, he suddenly thought that having a Spring Mattress would improve the sleeping comfort. He wanted one for himself, but also decided to gift a Spring Mattress to Aurora as a return for the information.
Immediately, he created a spring steel wire with magic and changed it into the shape of a mattress. Then, while changing the hardness of the springs little by little, he made multiple items of the same shape.
Touching the frame of the created mattress with his hand, he explained the product to Aurora.
"This is bare, but if you attach cushions to this, it becomes a splendid mattress. It fits the body and improves sleeping comfort, but I think there are preferences regarding spring hardness, so I prepared items with different hardness. Please use according to your preference."
"Oh my, in that case, shall we try it immediately?"
"I'm making this for the first time too, so there's no data, so please tell me once your preferred hardness is decided."
"Are you commercializing it?"
"Standardization, I suppose."
Beds are regulated by JIS Standards. The name "Mattress" is actually a name regulated by JIS Standards. Sizes are all decided as Single, Semi-Double, and Double.
Incidentally, Single is 980mmx1950mm and Double is 1400mmx1950mm, and it is not double the width.
At this time, Steve thought that if bed sizes were standardized, it would become a business through mass production, and he had not imagined the impact that would fall upon him in the future.
Aurora immediately used this mattress on the bed. Since it couldn't be used with exposed springs, bedding craftsmen were called and hurriedly put cotton inside to become cushions and covered the outside with cloth.
And, Aurora who used the completed mattress was greatly impressed by the sleeping comfort. Depending on the physical condition of the day, she sometimes changed the hardness a little, but generally the hardness used was decided, and she asked Steve to make the same thing to place in the Royal Capital's townhouse. Regarding this, a huge reward was paid.
Steve made this mattress for himself and his family too. Then, he gifted it to Cyril, submitted samples to the Royal Research Institute, and conveyed the feeling that it would be nice if there were standards for beds and mattresses.
When the Royal Research Institute received this, they decided to put it off because the institute's rank seemed low, but this was a big mistake.
However, the institute cannot be blamed. An order had come out to prioritize preparing for the Empire's invasion.
However, it was unfortunate that Aurora was boasting about the mattress's sleeping comfort, and that reached the King's ears.
The King wanted a Spring Mattress for himself too, and Steve was summoned immediately. And at this stage, the Royal Research Institute had not yet started research on mattresses.
Steve greeted the King in the audience chamber.
"Your Majesty, Steve Archibalt reports for duty."
"You've worked hard. So, I didn't call you for anything else today. It's about the spring-style mattress you supposedly provided to Lord Sowell, but can you present the same thing to me?"
Here Steve learned that Aurora had been walking around boasting about the mattress. And he realized he had forgotten that the King would regret not having the mattress that nobles possessed.
"Making it is simple, but hardness depends on individual preference, so I will prepare several items with different hardness. Please choose the one that suits Your Majesty from among them. However, it's troubling."
"Is there something troubling?"
"I thought inquiries would increase from other nobles too. If mattresses are added to the stainless steel dragon figurines and High-Class Glass, orders will concentrate. I submitted samples to the Royal Research Institute and requested standardization, but if that is done, others besides me can make the same thing. Probably mattresses will deteriorate in about 10 years, so it would be troubling if we can't make the same thing then."
"Hmm, if this was left unattended, I must punish the person in charge of the Royal Research Institute. Chancellor, confirm immediately."
"Understood."
At this time, the Chancellor also wanted the mattress, but he couldn't bring himself to say "to me too," and was thinking of pushing the Royal Research Institute to make Spring Mattresses.
Immediately, the Director of the Royal Research Institute was summoned and questioned by the Chancellor.
The Director's name was Isaac Holiday. A middle-aged researcher, his hair was white and thin. Overall slender, and because cheek flesh had fallen away, wrinkles were prominent, making him look older than his actual age.
The Chancellor spoke to the Director in a strong tone.
"Director, Your Majesty is greatly worried that bed standardization is lagging."
"Bed standardization, is it?"
"You surely know. Samples were submitted from Lord Archibalt, Dragon Head Medalist, and we have investigated that."
The Director also knew that. To request research budgets, such cases all came to his ears, and he had looked through Cyril's reports. Not only that, but from the good sleeping comfort, he had secretly taken samples home.
Such was the Spring Mattress, but following the royal command to prioritize preparing for the Empire's invasion, the Director, due to lack of human resources, had put off bedding standardization.
"Lord Chancellor, wasn't the priority order of research to prepare for the Empire's invasion first?"
"Don't you think the quality of soldiers' sleep is also important?"
Returned with that by the Chancellor, the Director realized excuses were impossible.
"As you say. However, as a practical matter, there are many research targets, and new budgets must be arranged."
"Director, I'm not just saying harsh things. Actually, regarding this mattress, Lord Archibalt, Dragon Head Medalist, has no intention of commercializing it. You understand, right?"
"Understood."
By the Chancellor's words, the Director gained motivation. Steve not commercializing meant no House Archibalt privileges would occur, and it would be easy to gain first-mover profit.
If the Director got serious, he could partner with workshops making mattresses, create standards convenient for them, and monopolize the market. This was the carrot the Chancellor gave.
The Chancellor also had guilt for issuing instructions to prioritize military research, so he prepared such a carrot so the Director could have a good time.
As a result, mattress standardization and development became something the Director would do himself. Commercialization of mattresses was difficult to obtain spring steel wire, so it was supplied only to workshops under the Director's control, and in a situation where only there could produce, they made considerable profit. Naturally, a part of that was returned to the Director.
Because of that, the Director came to be hated by researchers.
Furthermore, news spread to the Empire that Spring Mattresses were being made in the Kingdom of Cascade and were popular among nobles, and the Empire's Minister of Industry received an order from the Emperor to develop Spring Mattresses within the Empire too.
However, without being able to obtain the actual mattress, development did not progress, and the Minister's position became even worse.