Chapter 46. To the land of the frozen land (6) + Paper, a great way to make money (1) The students are blacksmiths who came here to learn their skills with the dream of opening their own workshops from all over the kingdom.
At first, only 35 dwarves opened the workshop, but now, not only dwarves but also humans who became disciples to learn skills from them are working.
And Aken strictly directs his disciples and directs their work.
It is always a sight.
No, this is usually the relationship between a master and a disciple.
At least when it comes to handling fire and melting iron, one can never fail to be severe.
Master S.
“What'?”
Aken looked at his pupil with a frown as if he would immediately throw him into the furnace if he spoke nonsense.
“A letter has arrived.”
“letter? Are they the royal family again?”
He clicks his tongue as if he is tired of receiving the letter and opens the envelope.
“The order is full until next year. You won't get any more.”
Even if it wasn't so, because of the recent request to make a special sword for the crown prince or something, half of them were forced to work.
It was a request from an aristocratic family that he had been indebted to in the early days of the workshop, so he had no choice but to accept the request even though it was half-forced.
Are you trying to make unreasonable demands again?
Of course, I just had to frown.
But the disciple shakes his head.
“Isn't the person who sent it the alchemist who came 10 years ago? It is him.”
“Damon? ah. You mean that kid?”
Archen recalled the alchemist's hallmark, the white-washed hair.
I have a little acquaintance with him since I received a little consultation about the blast furnace 10 years ago.
“Hmm? Fahilia? Why did that kid go to that place again?”
It was only then that I saw the address stamped on the envelope and was puzzled.
I must have heard that you are working in the capital city, right?
Anyway, you'll know what to look at.
The alchemist couldn't have sent a letter just to say hello.
“At least, it must be trivial again.”
While he grumbles, he carefully scans the letter with his eyes.
“Are you trying to do something in Fahilia?”
In general, the content of the letter was about his current situation.
Did he follow the youngest prince or a little boy to that cold region?
‘It's a big deal.'
There are few guys who are as thorough about themselves as the alchemist.
Did he follow the character of the youngest prince in Pahilia until he left the royal capital?
“What is it about?”
“Nothing. Apparently, they want to ask us to make some kind of machine. The blueprint...is this the sound blueprint?”
In addition to the letter, it seems that the blueprint was also sent along with it.
“under. Are you asking us to see the blueprints and evaluate them? That youngest prince must be a very interesting little boy.”
Still, he didn't hate such a spirit, but Aken burst out with an easygoing smile and looked at the blueprint for the problem.
“Master?”
The disciple wondered at the sudden silence of the master and called him, but there was no answer.
And that's not all.
His expression changes terribly.
Maybe the blueprint was messed up?
The most irritating thing about artisans is to belittle their craft.
Aristocrats who mistakenly believe that a product comes out by simply tapping iron sometimes come all the way to this place and make comments that disregard them.
After that, I used to get beaten up and kicked out by pissed off dwarves.
Could that design be the same?
The apprentice guessed so.
Maybe he scratched his pride by sending something absurd that didn't even have the basics.
But the strange thing is, why does he keep staring at those blueprints?
If he had been displeased with him, he would have thrown all of them into the furnace at once, whether it be blueprints, letters, or people.
“Ben.”
For some reason, I call the apprentice by name.
“Yes four!”
“For a while, you guys lead the others.”
As he spent the longest time under Aken than other apprentices, he noticed his master's ideals at once.
He tries to keep his composure, but now he seems to be disturbed by something.
“Where are you going?”
“Let’s talk to the other guys for a while.”
After saying that, Aken went out of the forge.
“It's a big deal...”
Did I eat the wrong wine today?
The apprentice is just puzzled.
However, as if he was accustomed to this behavior of his master, he immediately began to command other apprentices.
* * *
All the dwarves gathered in the forge that Aken called that day.
“What. Aken. This one has been pushed back now.”
“If you have free time, drink wine alone and go to sleep.”
“joy. Somebody thinks I'm free now.”
Aken also reacted indifferently to the complaints of the dwarves.
The reason why all 35 dwarves gathered despite all kinds of complaints and gossip was that Aken had never called them with such a serious face.
“What are you doing making a fuss?”
“hmm. It's nothing. A kid sent me a hand-drawn blueprint to build a machine in Pahilia.”
“Queuck. That's a very cheeky kid.”
Everyone laughed lightheartedly, as if he had the guts to send blueprints to the best blacksmiths in the kingdom and no one else.
“Did you call me to talk about that?”
“okay. I laughed like that at first too.”
Archen frowned and set the blueprint in question down on the table.
“This is it.”
“where??????
The eyes of the dwarves were focused on the blueprint that Aken had spread out.
“hmm!?”
“Arken! Could this be… you’re not joking right now, are you?”
“I'm not even drunk, so would you play such a joke?”
Archen folded the blueprints again and hid them in his bosom.
Then, for some reason, there was an exclamation of regret.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t show you more than this.”
“You son of a bitch… But what the hell was that blueprint? If I wasn't blind, no matter how I look at it...
“It's a machine for making paper.”
Recalling the contents of the letter, Aken carefully put it into his mouth.
“paper??????
“Why do you remember 5 years ago? A kid who came from the far east to see our technology, saying he wanted to make better quality paper for us.”
“ah. There was a guy like that.”
Everyone recalls the past in a bitter tone.
The reason this was not a very good memory for them was that it did not satisfy the technology that the guest from that distant land was hoping for.
In the end, he regretted it, but he couldn't show it and just said he was fine and went back.
For the Dwarves who only lived as artisans, there was no more humiliation than that.
“But the kid who lives in that snowy land sent me something like this.”
“Is it feasible?”
“I must say it’s already perfect.”
If it was just an absurd story, he wouldn't have summoned other dwarves like this in the first place.
In Archen's judgment, this blueprint is flawless.
“The idea of pressing paper to make it glossy and then drying it with a magic tool.... Sophisticated design that makes it possible.
It's real.”
At his words, the other dwarves fell silent.
There is a person who realized ideas and technologies that were impossible for them five years ago.
“So why are the blueprints in your hands?”
“They sent it to me saying they wanted to make this. They seem to want you to send people over there.”
“is it.”
After hearing Aken's explanation, the dwarf stood up from his chair with a light laugh.
“Let me go.”
“You are the one who makes some crazy noises.”
Aken growled heartily and restrained the dwarf who volunteered to go.
“Anyway, Aken, you guys have work left over from making the sword for the crown prince last time, right?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The rest can be done quickly by rolling the disciples. It's me who goes anywhere However, there are not enough hands to go alone.
That's all.”
For that reason, Aken needed a dwarf to accompany him.
Of course, from the beginning, Aken was full of desire to go to Pahilia himself.
I wanted to see it with my own eyes there.
‘I'll have to see the kid who drew this blueprint.'
There are a lot of things I want to say.
And the skill of the kid I want to check is like a mountain.
However, it seems that he is not the only one who has such thoughts.
“I will go!”
“What! Shouldn't this body go!”
“If it's a business trip, it's right for me to go!”
The problem was that all the dwarves volunteered.
After all, the blood of the same dwarves can't win.
Curiosity seems to have boiled over after seeing the blueprints in question.
‘Didn't I rather not show this?'
But if you didn't show this, their short legs would never have moved here.
“Noisy!”
Archen hit the table with his fist.
“If everything goes, who will run the blacksmith’s shop now!”
No matter how much curiosity pushes my back, I can't put out the fire here.
In the end, only half of the people who could compromise decided to come to an agreement.
“Then the question is, who is going?”
Of course, Archen, who was invited, would go.
However, the Dwarves would not be convinced by that alone.
Everyone is sitting in a chair, sending stubborn glances at each other, saying, ‘You stay!'
Concession is a word that can never exist for them.
“I can’t. In a case like this, I'll have to decide that way.”
“ah. Is that what you mean?”
“hmm. I'm sure that's all there is to it. good night.”
Everyone crosses their arms and nods.
From the days when the forge was just opened here, the 35 dwarves here have a way of deciding what to do next whenever they occasionally disagree.
Also, that would be the best way for now.
Everyone suddenly got up and backed away with the momentum of kicking their chairs.
“Get lost!”
They rush at each other with terrifying momentum.
Then they swung their short arms and started punching each other.
Soon, the room where the dwarves were having a meeting was filled with the sound of their scuffle.
But nobody stops them.
Disciples pass by from time to time, look in the direction of the room they are in, and shake their heads, saying, “It's a start again.”
It is already a daily routine for them.
What do you do when you don't like it?
It is determined by punching fair and square.
It's the fairest way they've been gathering opinions in this forge for a long time.
If you don't like it, decide with your fists.
This is the most basic iron rule in the dwarves' forge.
Paper is a great way to make money. (1) It will take more than 5 days for a letter sent to the kingdom's dwarf workshop to arrive at the fastest.
So what are you doing until then?
Of course you should drink honey!
“For the time being, there will be nothing to do.
Let's rest properly for
the first time in a while....” I hung up a sign in my office that said, “Don't come to me unless it's urgent, or there's an emergency that threatens to destroy the territory tomorrow, or a meteorite falls.”
It's a holiday for now!
I usually take a break, but this time I'm going to take a break!
I spent three days leisurely without working.
And I shouldn't have to work worthwhile today! That time when I made up my mind and lay down.