No matter how I flipped and turned the note, the incomprehensible sounds it made were all that was written. I waved the note flimsily and asked Granduncle.
"What does this look like?"
"Huh?"
Granduncle took the note with an expression that seemed to say he was being dragged into superstition. Even as he read the sentence, his eyes seemed soulless.
"It says to become a kind person. That's a nice blessing. Yawn."
"Hey... Could you not yawn so blatantly?"
I knew Granduncle tended to doze off in carriages, but he yawned too comfortably. Without much care, he handed the note back to me.
"Don't worry about it too much. It's just for fun, and you said you don't believe in this stuff anyway."
"That's true, but..."
Still, it left me feeling uneasy.
After a moment of contemplation, I decided to lighten my mood. Yeah, what's the big deal? My fortune for the year is supposed to be the best anyway.
I passed the note back to Granduncle.
"Then you can throw this away."
"Alright, I will."
Granduncle crumpled the note and stuffed it carelessly into his jacket pocket.
Soon, the carriage arrived at the mansion. As I crossed the elaborately decorated garden and entered through the front door, the busy people bowed their heads in greeting. I acknowledged them briefly and headed straight to the office.
The first day of the new year, the first task was done, now it was time for the rest!
I sat at my desk and interlocked my fingers. Granduncle, who also serves as my assistant, brought several letters. His face, usually relaxed and stubborn like a real grandfather's, turned serious.
He placed one of the letters on my desk.
"There's a special customer."
"A special customer? More special than the royal family?"
"Yes. The order I just gave you is from the Dayera Duchy."
Wow, really?
I eagerly opened the letter. Although I had created the latest communication device 'Talk-Talk,' the high nobles, being special customers, still send their first orders by letter. Once we confirm the order on our side, I'll get in touch.
"Did you send one?"
When we receive an order, we send a Talk-Talk as a sample. That way, they can contact me with it, and fully appreciate how convenient and nice it is.
Granduncle nodded with a trustworthy face.
"Yes. By now, the Duke of Dayera should have received it. I've told them it's a gift."
"Good job. What's the duke's number?"
"88808880."
"I'll contact them right away. Wow, why did they order so many?"
Looking at the desired quantity on the order form, it seemed they planned to distribute them to all the Dayera family members. Otherwise, there would be no reason to order over a hundred items at once. 'Talk-Talk' is exclusively sold by our company, so it's not like they're buying in small amounts to distribute.
The handwriting on the order form was very peculiar. The width and height of each letter were precisely the same. The letters were so neat that they looked like square bricks stacked together.
The duke probably didn't write it himself... Their assistant has very neat handwriting.
"The available times for contact... anytime is fine. Are they that free?"
"No, that's not it, but please understand if the reply is delayed."
"That's just like His Grace, the Duke."
Anyway, they're a valuable customer, so I have no complaints.
I pulled the cute Talk-Talk closer to me on the desk.
At first glance, Talk-Talk might look like just a rectangular notebook, but it's definitely not a mere notebook. It has a main screen where letters are displayed, a cute little typewriter attached below (the size of the typewriter can be adjusted according to the customer's hand size), and an original design.
It's truly the trendiest item of the era!
On my Talk-Talk, three small and cute cats were sitting. It's a limited edition model, specially designed for cat lovers. Since the emperor prefers dogs, we decided to make a dog version next.
I placed my fingers on the typewriter and tapped in the number. While doing so, I gave Granduncle a little wave.
"If there's a problem, I'll call you back."
"Alright. What about lunch?"
"I'll just have a sandwich. Ah! Don't nag."
I cut him off before he could start lecturing, and Granduncle grimaced and left without a word.
Sometimes, Granduncle scolds me for just sitting at my desk and eating sandwiches, asking why I don't eat properly. What can I do if it's bothersome?
I pressed 88808880 and hit the enter button, tap!
Soon, letters appeared on the screen.
[Connecting with Duke Euryx Dayera (88808880). Retrieving all previous conversation history.]
[Restoring conversation history... Restoration result 0]
I looked at the screen for a moment and then sent the first greeting without hesitation.
[Hello, Duke Dayera! This is 'Talk-Talk,' your best friend that will make you faster, more delightful, and lighter.]
[I am Mirah Hexen, the head of Hexen Corporation. I'm contacting you regarding the order form. Please check and reply at your convenience^^]
The days of exchanging letters or sharing cigarettes in salons while putting on airs are gone. 'Talk-Talk' has also revolutionized the way we communicate.
Shedding the heavy formalities, we go light and fresh! We can use symbols freely, and, oh?
I waited while looking at the screen, and the message [The other party is typing...] appeared. They said the reply might be late, but it seems they checked it right away.
Then, quite some time passed.
...
...
...
What's this? Are they writing in their sleep?
I checked, but the message [The other party is typing...] remained. It felt like more than 10 minutes had passed, but when exactly...
Then, a notification, tap-tap!
What took them so long to write?
[To Count Mirah Hexen.
Greetings, Count Hexen. I am Duke Dayera. I am contacting you to purchase 'Talk-Talk' from Hexen Corporation.
First, thank you for providing the sample product. I haven't paid much attention to recent technology, so I haven't had the chance to use Talk-Talk in the past few years. I am grateful and pleased to have received the product.
As noted on the order form, I plan to purchase 150 Talk-Talks. They are all for my vassals and knights in my domain, and I may consider additional purchases depending on satisfaction. I would like to discuss this in more detail.
I await your reply.
Thank you. From Duke Dayera.]
...Someone sends official documents via Talk-Talk?!