Chapter 48. Paper is a great way to make money (3)
“Let’s make a simple stew.”
All you have to do is cut up the right ingredients, such as meat, onions, or vegetables, and boil them.
It is also the most frequent menu at camp.
least likely to fail.
This is important.
At the very least, the ending of the brother and sister getting food poisoning from eating during the holiday should be avoided.
I closely supervise the most important ebb and flow, and I instruct my sister from the side about how much to cut ingredients or adjust the fire.
“…You’re good at cutting a knife.”
“Because it’s as easy as this.”
Almost without looking at them, they sliced up the ingredients and spoke proudly.
Certainly, like a cooking cartoon full of over-action, if you look at the ingredients that are evenly sliced every few times with no errors at all….
I didn’t teach you to do that.
We transferred the finished stew to a bowl and started eating with pre-prepared bread.
It’s lunch anyway, so there’s no need to eat so lavishly, so it’s just right.
“ah! Surprisingly delicious! right?”
At first, the older sister cautiously opened the spoon, but soon her eyes lit up.
“I see. It’s been a long time since I did this, but it turned out okay?”
“long time no see? Have you cooked before?”
Kania, who had never seen me cook, found my self-talk strange.
I bet you’ve never seen that.
Cooking was done in a previous life.
Yeah, I’m not very good at it either.
I can only make what I want to eat.
Of course, now I have switched to pure eating.
that today is special
“And since I’ve rarely touched anything, I won’t complain anywhere from now on how bad it is.”
“Is that so?”
“At least they say it’s delicious, I don’t say it’s not delicious.”
Seriously.
to be sincere
“huh. thank you.”
My sister was obediently happy and we finished our meal.
At the end of lunch like that, suddenly a servant comes running in a hurry.
“Arel! Are you here?!”
“what? Where did the war break out? Why are you so flustered?”
Rather than that, today I would have told you not to look for it.
It seems that it is not normal for you to go so far as to disobey my orders to find me.
“Take a deep breath and tell me. Then, before you even report it, you will die.”
As if the enemy had invaded, he was restless, so I jokingly said to warn him to stay calm.
“The dwarves have come!”
“???? huh?”
“It’s a dwarf!”
“A dwarf?”
….huh. It was the dwarves who came in.
It seemed that today’s holiday had all flown away.
* * *
The dwarves came suddenly.
Last time, I had sent a letter to the Dwarf to entrust a job related to the paper machine at Darman’s recommendation.
Of course, I thought the reply would come first.
Common sense makes sense, right?
But openly, I thought that the dwarves themselves would come.
Hearing the news from the soldiers guarding the gate, I immediately ordered them to enter the castle.
And 17 dwarves entered under the guidance of a soldier.
Although they are short, their bodies are strong thanks to their long blacksmithing work, and their gait is well-centered, so they feel a sense of intimidation that no one else can ignore them as short.
Oh, it’s not time for me to look at it strangely either.
Anyone who sees you will know that you are a country boy who is seeing a dwarf for the first time.
“Oh! hmm! Your iron workshop…”
I set the mood and tried to greet them like a lord.
The first thing I had planned in my head was to start with Ogena, saying, “I am Arel, the lord of this place.”
Even though it’s short limbs, it’s because of the developed muscles, I feel something like a strange pressure.
“Are you the kid who drew this?”
Thanks to the dwarf who cut off my words while holding out the blueprints I had drawn, my welcome message disappeared into the distance.
“That is rude.”
In the end, I had to stop her after seeing that Asha, who was standing guard next to me, was getting stronger in the hand holding the spear.
“Asha. Be patient.”
“But their attitude can never be overlooked.”
“You heard that from Damon. That’s the general attitude of dwarves. To them, that’s normal.”
When I sent a letter to the dwarves the other day, I never asked Damon what kind of dwarves they were.
Darmon taught me a few handling precautions, as if he felt the need to explain.
They do not have the concept of properly understanding and following the human caste system.
It is understood as knowledge, but it is said to be a caution that does not pay much attention to things like human status.
Of course, not all dwarves are like this.
Certainly there are dwarves who have learned the common sense and etiquette of the world.
However, in general, it is said that dwarves tend to be more polite when their artisan temperament is higher.
He probably has no interest in anything other than his own work.
Is it a joke that the more rude you are, the better you are?
The dwarves from the Iron Workshop are truly wild dwarves!
He told me to keep that in mind as he must have already melted things like courtesy in the forge.
Rumor has it that even the king showed this attitude in the past.
Apparently, Abby just passed on it, so it’s pointless for me to say anything.
I stopped Asha from getting angry and rushing at me right now.
“are you okay. If they are of different races, we should treat them accordingly.”
“If Arel-nim says that, then I can’t help it.”
At my persuasion, Asha managed to get the spear.
Still, the anger doesn’t reap.
“Hmm. For a girl, you have good spirits.”
“I beg your pardon?”
The problem is that that dwarf muttered without thinking again, which kept pissing Asha off.
Surprisingly, even though Asha is normally calm, her boiling point is low.
“As expected, that rude person is an example…”
“Asha! Be patient! Please be patient! Come on Simho Hop!”
We have to finish the conversation quickly. If something goes wrong, Asha will eat that dwarf alive here.
“Ask again. Are you the kid who drew this?”
“I’m not deaf, so speak a little softer.”
I answered, covering my ears to the booming voice.
“okay. I’m the kid who drew that.”
If you have any complaints, please let me know now.
However, even though I revealed that it was me, somehow those dwarves didn’t seem to believe it at all.
“Is it really you?”
“You said me.”
However, the dwarf pouted in disbelief at my claim.
“I can’t believe it. Aren’t you lying? Are you hiding your father-in-law somewhere?”
“So that’s me.”
“A kid who can’t even lift a hammer?”
“Asha. Cut that bastard and go.”
Tonight’s dinner is the dwarf sashimi.
“yes.”
In the end, this time the other soldiers had to tear apart me and Asha.
* * *
I thought the story would be long, so I ordered the dwarves to be brought to my office.
As we wait in the office, the dwarves rush into the office.
Population density and muscle density went up in an instant.
Look at these thick dwarves, this thick smell of sweat
…… Oh, I made a mistake.
I should have just talked outside.
“Are you really the kid who drew this?”
“How many times do you say? No, what should I do to make you believe me? Before that, did you just say that?”
Shall I draw the blueprint again from A to Z and prove it?
Shall I tell you that in 30 minutes and it’s so easy?
Well, is there anything I can’t understand that the dwarf named Aken doesn’t believe in?
The blueprint itself is a drawing of techniques that I had memorized from my previous life as a pastime and somehow made it possible to reproduce them here.
It’s not something that would pop out of a normal kid’s head.
“Previously. Is there something wrong with that design?”
“That is not true. Just…”
“Just?”
“hmm. no.”
what? Are you trying to push me against me?
I’m sorry, but I don’t like muscle?
He said he knew Damon, so he wanted to bring him, but now Damon is down in the village to get things done.
“Then why did you come here yourself? If I had sent a letter, I would have sent a wagon myself.”
“red. I hate talking so lukewarmly.”
So, did you run all the way to Fahilia on your own two feet?
Yes, admit that you are impatient.
The dwarf, who revealed his name as Aken to me who was dumbfounded, held out the blueprints I sent and the letter from Damon again.
“According to the letter, it seems that he wanted to commission this from us.”
“huh. We don’t have a blacksmith with the skills to make it.”
“It’s worth it. It would be impossible to process parts like this with human hands.”
As if for granted, they feel the pride in believing that only they can produce this.
Certainly, trying to buy from the start, following Darman’s advice, could have damaged our relationship with them.
“hmm. To put it another way, I was the one who drew it.”
This is the only thing you should be sure of.
so they don’t ignore me
“Because I am a genius!”
Let me proudly open my chest and claim this.
….For some reason, the atmosphere in the office, which had been crowded, became cold.
“Is that so?”
Rather than a look of astonishment, it is more like a look of pity for some reason.
why is something wrong
What’s wrong with me being a genius?
I’m a genius! Genius!
“but. There were many eccentrics among the smart people. hmm. I’m pretty sure you drew it.”
weird.
You’ve been acknowledged for something, but right now you’re almost taken care of?
Now that I understand… Is this what it is?
something is unpleasant
“then. After that, I want to commission this from you…”
First, let’s negotiate.
“It doesn’t matter.”
huh?
“This is a decision I made when the youngster came to you on two legs. We will take care of this.”
“…Can you decide that easily?”
Yet I have not even given a detailed estimate of the cost of hiring them.
“It doesn’t matter. Other than getting the job, it’s all up to us.”
That said, can they accept that my blueprint caught their interest?
“And if you accept the job, won’t you, kid, show me the rest?”
“ah. Did you mean that?”
I stopped smirking.
The dwarf named Aken is also looking at me as if I were looking at a dark-hearted person.
“The blueprint is only a fraction of it.”
On purpose, when I sent the blueprint, I left out the most important part.
It was also cleverly left out so that it would be difficult to guess what to replace it with.
