My name is Sevrose.

　I'm the guildmaster of the Paper Industry Guild.
　It's like I'm the organizer of a union made up of parchment craftsmen throughout the Demon City.

　Weak individual craftsmen can't help but form a group to streamline their trade and make it easier for them to get their claims across.

　The parchment made by the members of our guild is of very high quality.

　The parchment is made from sheep skins that are carefully raised in the guild's exclusive pasture, using a strictly confidential, step-by-step method.

　His main client is the Demon King's Castle.
　Since documents are absolutely necessary for political and military affairs, there are always orders for paper.

　The parchment we deliver to them is reputed to be strong and easy to ink.

　As long as there is no more paperwork in the world, the demand for paper will never disappear.
　The parchment maker was a popular occupation because he would never be deprived of a lifetime of work.

　But now.
　But now.
　We, the Paper Guild, were in a tight spot.

　We could not sell parchment at all.

　It was absolutely necessary for certain jobs.
　It was thought that the demand for this paper would never cease.

　There was no one to sell it to.
　The bulging inventory is overwhelming the warehouse!

　How did this happen?
　I know why.

　It's because a powerful commercial enemy has emerged.
　The Pandemonium Company is selling a completely different quality of paper, and it is selling like hotcakes.
　That's why the sales of the parchment produced by our Paper Guild are falling off.

　Bastards!　Is it fun for a big business association to splash out on a small amount of money?

　The Pandemonium Chamber of Commerce is a large commercial organization that has direct dealings with the Demon King himself.
　Incidentally, the difference between a guild and a trade association is that a guild is a union of artisans, and a trade association is a trade association of merchants. The union of merchants is the guild and the union of merchants is the Chamber of Commerce.

　Anyway, if a large trading association attacks us with its connections and money to the maximum extent, even if it is united as a group, its craftsmanship will be irresistible.

　No matter how much you polish your skills and improve the quality of your products, there is nothing more sad for a craftsman than to be overturned by marketing.

　So I ordered a copy of a new product from Pandemonium Trading Company.
　I thought I would laugh at the poor quality of the paper that a merchant would order from an unknown source.

　But as soon as I took a glance at the paper that arrived, that distorted sense of disgust vanished.
　The reason was that the quality was far better than the parchment produced in our guild.

''What kind of paper is this made from...?

　Even though I showed it to all of the paper-making experts in the guild, I couldn't understand it.
　What kind of animal skin was used as the material?

　It's not sheepskin, that's for sure.
　As a member of the Paper Guild, we have spent decades skinning sheepskin, stretching and tanning it, drying it, and removing the remaining wool to make the best paper.

　The new paper we snatched from the big trading company is so light and soft that you wouldn't expect it to be made of sheepskin.
　When I tried to write something on it, the sensation of the pen running was very pleasant, and the ink soaked into the paper appropriately and blended well.

　Conclusion.
　It's much better than the paper we make.

"I thought you were selling it through your marketing skills...?

　I didn't know that even the quality of the product was far superior...!
　It's a wake up call at the guild meeting.

　There was absolutely no chance of winning.
　Everyone was panicked at the worst possible prospect of going out of business, but that didn't mean that there was anything in particular that could be done to break the situation.

　But there was nothing we could do to overcome the situation, because we had been following the traditional parchment manufacturing method since the days of our distant ancestors.
　There's no way we can come up with a new method just because the old method doesn't work.

　Oh, we're done........?
　The Paper Guild, which has lasted for hundreds of years, is over for me...!

　Everyone was already in despair and felt like they couldn't even get a job....

　　　　* * * *

　One day, the orcs came.
　And goblins.

"What the heck?

　A crawl of Orc goblins poured into the Paper Guild meeting place in a corner of the Demon City!
　What a huge number!

　What's going on here?　If they are anthropomorphic monsters, then someone sent them to us!

"Who is the representative here?

　One of the orcs barging in will ask you.
　A talking orc?　The fact that this orc speaks is surprising and shocking, but the majesty this orc radiates is even more impressive and makes me shiver.
　Is it some kind of general?　He was such an awe-inspiring orc that one would think, "I'm not sure.

'You must accept your reckoning.

　Orc said.
　What do you mean!
　What did we do to make amends?　We've just lived our lives honestly, day in and day out.
　So now that we're on the verge of closing down our business, what more is there to accept?

　...Oh no, I accept it!
　We are the ones who have to pay for it!

This is what my master wanted. You must now do as we say and lessen the burden on your hearts.

　What the hell is going on?
　We are the ones who are losing our jobs right now, and our hearts are burdened to the max!

Then let's start right away, Gobukichi-dono!
Yes, sir.

　Now there's a goblin in the room!
　And he's carrying something under his arm?

This is the finest wood that I have ever cultivated in the mountain dungeon.
"Wood?

　Yeah, if you look hard enough.
　It was a log cut down to a size that was easy to carry around.

　The goblin took out that log with the scythe....

''Haaaaaaaah!

　Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

　What did he cut up the log?
　He swung the scythe at great speed and cut it into tiny pieces of wood.
　This is what it means to be chopped into tiny pieces!

Thus, you take a small piece of wood and you put it in a pot and you cook it.
''Yesyyy!''

　The sliced piece of wood is thrown directly into the pot and put on the fire with the water.
　I'm sure you've prepared that pot as well?
　You don't want to use fire in our house, it's dangerous!

Bring it to a boil, remove only the wood fibers, and then strain it into a mold.

　No, really, what are these orcs and goblins trying to do?

　It's like a square picture frame made of some kind of wood, and this one is also made of stewed and soggy wood scraps.
　........what are you trying to do!
　I really don't get it.

'When you've finished straining it reasonably well, let it dry...!
"Hellfire Spirit Demolition!

　ohhh?
　The goblins have blown away all the water in one go with some kind of flaming heat magic.

It's done!　Handmade paper!
What's that?

　Could this be the latest fine paper from Pandemonium?
　Isn't this the exact same shape and quality as the samples we bought?

It can't be...?　The orcs and goblins have just shown us how to make fine paper...?

　You mean they showed me the whole process from beginning to end?

　But how can paper be made out of wood...!
For those of us who think of paper as something made from the skin of an animal, it's an eye-opening experience.

Did we see it all?　The way we make paper...?
But seeing is not enough. You have one day to master the process.

　How dare you?
　Why would you do that?

So take some of the burden off your mind, my dear.
A request for you to return from the sheep farm. I must relieve you of the burden on your mind, my dear, who is tormented by the guilt of knowing that your work is taking away the work of the innocent.
To do that, you must master the art of making paper on our farms and learn to live independently.
Come on, let the training begin!　Gather as many craftsmen as you can gather!　From now on, we're going to teach you one-on-one with the full strength of the Orc Goblin Army that belongs to the farm!

　A group of barging orc goblins let out a bullhorn.

　It was a completely unfamiliar trend, but the Paper Guild's artisans received a Spartan education from the Orc Goblins that day and were able to learn an unknown paper making method.

　Now we, the Paper Guild, can supply fine paper that is as good as the Pandemonium Chamber of Commerce?
　Can our business, which was dying, be revived?