kscans

Chapter 66 - Chapter 5: Part Two – Prototyping Begins

Kon kon, gan gan, gan gan, kon kon! Gan, gan, kaan!!

The sounds of wood and iron being struck echoed through the warehouse turned workshop. A makeshift chimney and furnace had been set up by the window, generating considerable heat with charcoal and a bellows. Unlike open air forging, it seemed they had altered the design to concentrate the heat in a smaller area.

Using a small prototype alchemy mold, we successfully forged a part from ordinary iron. Now, they were adjusting the temperature to work with True Iron. Of course, the conditions would change with the size, but Bowgan judged that this would serve as a good baseline.

Even with the same iron, the size of the crystals differs depending on the temperature, which affects its hardness and toughness, if I recall correctly.

Kan, kan!

Bowgan struck together two metal balls he had forged. It had been an ordeal just to get this far. At first, they would crack or come out misshapen. Even after adjusting the amount of metal, they were left with hollow cavities inside. Apparently, you can identify them by the dull sound they make.

And this was just with iron. It really drove home how easy lead was to work with. I looked at Bowgan. The blacksmith’s lips curled into a slight smile as he struck the spheres together once more. A clear, ringing kaan resonated through the workshop.

"Bowgan-san. Dolph-san says, ‘Please widen the space between the springs a little more.’"

Bowgan nodded at Alfina’s message.

They were crafting the leaf springs meant to absorb the carriage’s vibrations. Until that was finalized, the outer diameter of the bearings could not be determined. This was essential for retrofitting numerous carriages with minimal effort.

Alfina was dashing between Bowgan, Dolph, and Noel, acting as their messenger.

In truth, determining the outer diameter of the bearings had caused its own little squabble. Three days ago, Dolph's proposed measurement and Bowgan's judgment clashed over a minuscule difference. The atmosphere in the workshop turned sour as Dolph shouted that he would not yield, while Bowgan simply ignored him and continued to strike his hammer.

It was Alfina who resolved it. She didn't particularly try to persuade them. She just went back and forth between the two, listening to what they had to say, and a point of compromise naturally emerged.

Her innate curiosity and sincerity. Her desperate effort to understand the work before her eyes was obvious to everyone. She must have captured the hearts of the two craftsmen.

Well, neither of them likely believed Alfina was actually a servant. To a commoner, everything from her posture and demeanor to her way of speaking was different. They probably mistook her for a supervisor from the Grand Duchess’s household.

They would never imagine she’s a princess.

"S-so, this size should be fine then."

Noel headed for the alchemy anvil she had brought into the workshop. The blueprints she and Mia had created were nearly complete. According to Noel, adjusting the size took less time than altering the shape.

Of course, a larger size meant more magic power and magically conductive metal would be required. And while we had secured customers starting with the Knight Order and Kenwell, Magic Crystals and magically conductive metal were resources that economic principles alone could not replenish.

"The calculations are done. Senpai. It’s a ten percent increase over what we planned. This is the absolute limit."

"A-and I’ll have you know, if it wasn’t me and Mia, it would have been much worse than this!"

"I understand. That small of an overage isn’t a problem."

I feigned composure under the gazes of Noel and the craftsmen. Internally, I was breaking out in a cold sweat, as each unit we made was like watching gold coins fly away.

◇◇

"Noel-san. Bowgan-san says that the strength of the spring and the size of the bearing hole…"

"Y-yes, Your High… I mean, F-Fina. I’ll try to adjust it. Mia, if you would."

Noel, who at first would stand ramrod straight whenever Alfina spoke to her, was now able to communicate with her. It was a shame Alfina had to return tomorrow for a cathedral event.

"We’re countin’ on you, Noel’s little missy."

"W-who do you think I am?"

Well, Noel was also getting used to interacting with people from a completely different field. Wait a minute. I felt a sense of kinship with her, but does she actually have better communication skills than I do?

◇◇

The workshop, which had become quite peaceful, was tense from the morning. Outside, we heard the sound of carriage wheels. We all went out to see.

"It seems the carriage is complete."

"It’s been a while, Ricardo-kun."

As the butler opened the door, Eufilia and Ruitza emerged. The carriage was rather plain for a Grand Duchess and a Viscount’s heir, but it had been chosen because an identical model existed, allowing for a direct comparison. This was to be a side-by-side test ride of the old and new carriages.

"Alright. Steady now, steady."

At Dolph’s call, the carriage body was hoisted by a pulley and joined with the axle assembly, now fitted with leaf springs and bearings. The jig he had devised to hold the bearings in place on the axle was removed. The improved carriage was now complete, assembled right before the client’s eyes.

Finally, it’s time for the first test ride.

◇◇

"What do you think?" I asked the Grand Duchess from my seat in the swaying carriage.

Inside were myself and three women. Alfina sat beside me, with the Grand Duchess and Ruitza seated opposite.

"From what you told me, I expected the vibrations to be terrible, but this ride is smoother than the one we took to get here, is it not? Though it is no match for the one I personally use, of course."

"Indeed. It is much more comfortable."

Ruitza nodded in agreement with Eufilia’s words. Alfina, seated beside me, had even tried removing her seat cushion midway through the ride to test it. The shock must have gone straight to her rear, as she had since put it back.

"We can’t judge from the cobblestone road alone. This is all thanks to the hard work of our two craftsmen. They went through a great deal of trial and error with the size and angle of the leaf springs."

"I see. Is that what you call an accumulation of know-how?"

"Yes. With further improvements, I believe we can suppress the vibrations even more. That will lead to greater durability for the parts and less maintenance. Of course, the most important thing is its performance in transporting goods."

"Aunt-sama, it’s amazing. There’s a wooden frame that aligns the two wheels perfectly…"

Alfina began explaining the details to the Grand Duchess. Though it was only an upgrade, the motivation of the two men, given new parts and the freedom to innovate, was truly impressive. Even accounting for the almost over-engineered precision and strength of the bearings, the result had already exceeded my expectations.

"That’s wonderful, Alfina-sama."

Ruitza glanced at me before responding to Alfina. She was probably wondering what I was having a princess do. You’re one to talk.

"So, may I assume the matter of the bearings is on the right track?"

"Yes. It will still take a great deal of time to manufacture them from scratch, but… ah, if we make them from scratch, the performance will be even better…"

"Hold on, hold on. It is fine if it takes more time. The city cannot keep up. Do you have any idea how many artisans are involved in a single carriage?"

It’s not as complex as an automobile, but building one from scratch would still require textiles and leather goods. Even so, the carriage industry has a sufficiently broad base. Eventually, we’ll need to cultivate the craftsmen for iron, wood, cloth, and leather. But conversely, it means we have the opportunity to develop them.

If I can grant the craftsmen the same kind of discretion they had with the carriage, those materials could be combined to create things other than carriages…

No, no. I’m getting ahead of myself.

"How are things in the Royal Capital?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Kurtheite appears to have its hands full recovering from the dragon’s attack, so it is unlikely they have the leeway to interfere here for now. However, the situation with the First Knight Order is not favorable. As long as the Prime Minister attempts to maintain a balance between the second and third princes, our disadvantage at court is unavoidable."

"And the Prime Minister’s thoughts on the trade fair?"

"It was decided in the King’s presence, so he is unlikely to overturn it. However, if he learns that Prince Craig is involved, let alone myself, there is no telling how he will act. If your plans for the carriage’s debut come to fruition, it will inevitably draw a great deal of attention."

"That’s true. It is a rather flashy plan."

"A bit, you say."

The carriage returned to the workshop. The two craftsmen immediately began bombarding the driver with questions. His reaction seemed positive as well.

"I am satisfied with your work. This is a reward. Continue to apply yourselves."

Bags of silver coins were handed to Bowgan and Dolph. The two men froze at their weight. "This means the test ride was a success," Alfina told them, and their faces finally relaxed into expressions of relief.

"Now then, have there been any problems outside the workshop?" Eufilia asked, tilting her feather fan and prompting the craftsmen.

"W-well, yes. About that…" Dolph trailed off.

"I place great importance on this venture. Never mind that, tell me."

"The master of the Pegatta company, er, the carriage merchant, keeps pestering us… my associates and I… about what we’re doing. We’ve been putting him off by saying it’s an order from our lord, but… well, repairs don’t normally take this long."

"Jacob mentioned there have been people loitering around the workshop as well," I added. The butler nodded.

"I will handle the guild from above. As for that merchant, give him a sharp warning. Ask what he intends to do with information about my carriage. Zeldric, you will deal with those who are snooping around. If they resist, show them no mercy."

Eufilia commanded her butler. So his name is Zeldric.

"Alright, next up, Bowgan-san and the others, along with Noel and Mia, will take a test ride. After that, we can finally begin the load capacity tests."

"It’s a shame. I wanted to help more."

Alfina, making the Grand Duchess wait as she was about to leave, came over to me.

"You’ve been a tremendous help. Once we’ve established a clear path forward here, we will return to the Royal Capital as part of a long-distance road test."

We have already produced several identical sets of bearings. As for the carriage’s moving parts, the Grand Duchess will provide us with a different type of carriage to work on. It was a generous offer to use it as a test subject, even if we wore it out completely.

I’m leaving the trade fair to everyone at Central Garden, but I still have to report our progress to the prince.

"…I understand. I will be waiting in the Royal Capital with everyone from Central Garden."

With that, Alfina said her goodbyes to Noel and the others before returning to the carriage. The two craftsmen stared in surprise at the sight of a Grand Duchess waiting for a girl dressed as a handmaiden.

Well, they aren't entirely wrong to think of her as the Grand Duchess's chaperone. The silver coins the two received as a reward were thanks to Alfina’s passionate appeal on their behalf.