kscans

Chapter 65 - Chapter 5: Part One, The Craftsmen

After arriving in Bertold and spending a night at the grand ducal residence, which was more of a castle than a mansion, I was guided by an elderly butler to a large building.

"It's quite clean for a warehouse."

"We chose the location closest to the grand ducal residence to maintain secrecy."

The carriage we arrived in was behind us as the butler and I exchanged words. The conversation was meaningless. It was simply my way of escaping the awkwardness of starting a conversation with someone I had just met.

"…………"
"…………"

Two men stood waiting before us. One was a middle aged man who looked away with a mix of displeasure and anxiety, as if putting on a brave front. The other was an old man with his eyes closed so tightly he might as well have been asleep. These were the craftsmen whose cooperation was absolutely essential to begin this great enterprise.

"I was told I was being called here to repair the lord's carriage."

He must have decided this was going nowhere. The middle aged man, a woodworker named Dolph who specialized in carriage repair according to the butler, glared at me. Well, he certainly looked easier to deal with than the old butler.

Dolph's gaze was fixed on the carriage we had arrived in. His eyes were filled with suspicion. Of course, it was not broken. A craftsman would know that just by seeing it move.

"Why was I, a blacksmith, called for a carriage repair?"

The old man said, finally opening his eyes. He was Bowgan the blacksmith. He looked to be past his mid fifties. He would not know it, but he was the same blacksmith Jacob and the others hired for their work.

The gazes of both men also turned to the most lavishly dressed girl present, Noel. She pulled her hood down lower. When we first met, she had said something about mere blacksmiths, but it seems she is just shy around strangers.

To my left and right were two girls dressed as daughters of a merchant house. One was Mia, with her black hair in pigtails. Since Noel was next to her, Mia looked like Noel's maid. Not that she was.

The other was a girl with silvery blue hair, wearing the same clothes as Mia.

Alfina was here too, saying that as a shareholder, she wanted to see every stage of the business. That was just like her, so earnest.

"Both of you, Ricardo Vinder here holds all responsibility concerning the carriage. Of course, he was chosen by the will of Her Grace the Grand Duchess."

The old butler said. At the endorsement from the Grand Duchess's representative, Dolph's face twisted.

"And who exactly is this kid... er, this gentleman? The boss at Pegatta just told me there was a carriage repair job and to come here."

Pegatta was a carriage merchant in Bertold. He was a member of the Royal Capital's Carriage Guild and had strong ties to the Guild Master.

"Um, well. I'm a merchant from the Royal Capital's Food Guild. I've asked you both here today to request your help in improving this carriage."

"...I just serviced that carriage the other day. Are you saying you have a complaint?"

It seemed he thought I was criticizing his work.

"Of course not. If the original wasn't good to begin with, the results of any improvements wouldn't be clear, would they?"

"What is this 'improvement' you keep talking about? And why call me, a blacksmith?" old Bowgan said.

"Yes, I'd like to replace one of the carriage's components with a new one. First, could you take a look at this?"

I showed the prototype bearing to the two of them. It had a wooden rod passed through it. Dolph, conscious of the butler, took it from my hand.

"What is this strange mechanism... Oh, whoa. It spins? There are balls inside... You said it was a carriage part. This wood is the axle... Don't tell me this is an axle bearing."

The craftsman's eyes changed. I handed another, identical one to Bowgan. The old man's eyes, which had been closed as if in sleep, shot wide open.

"Impossible, such intricate metalwork is... surely you don't expect me to make this. You can't make two of these things exactly the same... Wha... what?"

"H-hey, don't take mine. Wait, this is made exactly the same!"

Bowgan snatched the bearing from Dolph and compared the two.

"First, Bowgan-san, I'd like you, the blacksmith, to create this special metal axle bearing. We call it a ball bearing. The actual size will be about three times this," I said.

"...Can't be made. There's no way I can make something like this. How was it made, anyway? Is the material lead? But..." Bowgan said with a clouded expression.

"I'd actually like you to make it from iron. A special, hard iron, if possible."

"That's even more impossible. If you're talking about True Iron, that can only be shaped little by little through forging at high temperatures. There's no way to make something like this with it."

The forging Bowgan was talking about is what you might imagine when you think of making a Japanese sword. Heating iron until it is red hot and soft, then hammering it into the shape of a blade. But what I wanted to ask for was also a type of forging, called die forging.

"Please look at this. Noel, if you would."

At my words, Noel took out the alchemy mold. The two men gasped for a moment at the gleam of precious metal, but their attention was soon drawn to the intricate structure of the mold itself.

"Hey, hey, you're not telling me you made a mold out of gold? Are you insane?"

"It is not gold... More importantly, how did you create such a precise mold?"

In this world, sand molds are the norm. You carve the desired shape out of wood, pack sand around it to create a mold, then remove the wood and pour in molten metal. But you cannot achieve the precision needed for a bearing with that method.

"It's her alchemy."

Noel flinched under Dolph's piercing gaze but managed to explain the properties of the magical metal.

"Magic... So you can process a metal that withstands high temperatures and is far sturdier than iron with this level of detail?"

"It costs an outrageous amount. The bearing itself will be made from ordinary metal."

"So, you want me to forge True Iron... using this mold."

You shape the metal by heating it until it is soft and pressing it with a mold. It is a technique for mass producing intricately structured parts. This was where the magical metal, which would not budge even if you whacked it with a hammer, would truly shine. I actually planned to cut grooves on all four sides and have them fit together, reducing the strain even further.

"And then, I want you to integrate the ball bearings made this way into the axle. In a way that alters the existing carriage as little as possible. That's what I want to ask of you, Dolph-san."

"...You're saying you'll use this on a carriage?" Dolph said, spinning the bearing with his finger.

"Yes, and actually, this ball bearing has a drawb—"

"Say no more. There's absolutely no clearance between this and the axle. It'd be incredible for something like a lathe, but it's impossible for a carriage running on a road. Besides, if you're using two, they won't spin properly if the mounting is off by even a little."

In this world, there is considerable space between a carriage's axle and its bearing. That is not just a matter of processing precision, without it, the carriage would directly absorb every bump in the road. Even a durable metal part would not last under those conditions.

"Regarding that, I'd like you to use leaf springs."

I explained. Coil spring suspensions like those common in cars were impossible, but leaf springs, made by layering strips of steel, were simple in structure. They were already used in high end carriages. Even so, you still needed cushions to ride in them. In fact, your backside would still hurt even with cushions. Springs were springs, but they would not work without those springs that people from my old world would imagine. That was a challenge for the future.

My explanation must have made them understand why they had been summoned. The two men fell silent. Their fingers gripped the bearings tightly, refusing to let go, but Dolph's eyes darted back and forth.

"Are you saying you're going to bypass the carriage merchants to build this crazy carriage?" Dolph said. He seemed to have realized. This was not a simple carriage improvement.

"Using expensive metals, even magic, to make a mold like this... you're not planning to build just one or two carriages," Bowgan added. According to Jacob's information, he was nearing retirement and had nothing to fear.

But would that make him take a risk on a proposal from a young kid like me?

"That's right. I'm planning to replace the axle bearings on a large number of carriages with these. I've already spoken with my fellow merchants, so you don't need to worry about orders," I said.

"So you're saying you'll do it without the carriage merchants? You're a merchant yourself."

Dolph's voice was tinged with caution. It made sense. He was currently torn between the guild and this new technology.

"It's because I'm a merchant that I need a more efficient means of transport. But more than anything, we need to build them quickly. I have no idea how long it would take if we left it to the current Carriage Guild. To make them accept it, one way is to just build them and show them what they can do," I said. "The other is to speed up the improvement process by working directly with the craftsmen. What I mean is, I want to leave the discretion for improving this carriage to you."

Craftsmen were basically subcontractors for merchants. Their pay scale was at an exploitative level. That meant craftsmen had neither the motive nor the funds to invest in their own skills. That would slow down the pace of technological innovation.

I looked at Dolph and grinned.

"Ultimately, I'm even thinking of having you, Dolph-san, build a carriage from scratch. I want to ask you to take on the job of building the best carriage in the kingdom."

I said this with a cold sweat running down my back. I believed in the power of the bearings, but whether we could actually make it all happen depended entirely on these two craftsmen.

"Damn you, playing us like a fiddle. After showing us something like this, there's no turning back. Especially not when you talk about building the best carriage in the kingdom." Dolph spat out, turning his face away.

"A job that involves processing True Iron with such precision... I can't refuse." Bowgan also gave a small nod.

"Then it's decided. Please, I must ask you not to leak any details about this job. You see, the client is who she is."

"R-right. If it's an order from our lord, then we have no choice." Dolph looked at the butler and laughed awkwardly. The butler nodded gravely.

"How did you persuade the lord?" Bowgan asked me.

"Well, I told her, 'Ultimately, we'll make this city the number one carriage production center in the kingdom.'"

When I answered, both Bowgan and Dolph looked dumbfounded.

"Ha. Looks like we've gotten ourselves wrapped up in something incredible."

"To think I'd be involved in something so momentous at my age."

The two craftsmen burst out laughing. Even the butler's cheeks lifted slightly. Alright, now we can get started on the improved carriage. I looked at Mia and Alfina and nodded.