Chapter 74. War Needs (2) Although I have stayed here for several months before to build a paper machine, this is not the case.
Naturally, I am helping them acclimate here as quickly as possible.
“Is there anything lacking?”
“joy. The studio location isn’t bad either. The facilities are also state-of-the-art. It’s embarrassingly luxurious. No blacksmith would complain about something like this.”
No…. You just said you were uncomfortable with your mouth?
It seems that this man’s mouth is not being honest.
His hands move busily as if he were excited, but his mouth is dishonest.
There is a river flowing right next to the blacksmith’s location, and if you tell me the necessary equipment, I will get it right away.
There could be no more ideal environment for a workshop.
“But the blacksmiths here ate too much.”
aha that’s what i don’t like
I ordered the blacksmiths here to work with them while the Dwarves remain here on full-time, stealing and learning their skills.
“Are you eating glutinous rice? Did you not follow the instructions properly or something?”
It is common for technicians from other workshops to be wary of each other and antagonize each other.
Although I was concerned about that.
“To think that he rolled after not sleeping for two days.”
“…No, normally people die if they work like that.”
“It’s no problem if it’s a dwarf.”
It’s not a racial trait joke.
Should we teach the dwarves basic work ethics?
Before that, your pupils were human beings.
How did they hold up?
As expected, in any world, craftsmen are strict and learners are difficult.
“yes! Hey kid!”
“Call me Arell. I don’t even want you to sleep.”
Aken didn’t pay attention to my scolding and took out a bundle of papers from his bosom and shook them.
“What is this in the first place!”
“What is it? It’s the recipe for Damascus steel I promised you.”
I keep my promise
After they settled here, I handed over the Damascus Steel data I promised Aken a month ago.
“You can’t read, can you?”
“It’s not like that! …. is this really the secret!”
“I guarantee that.”
It would be nice if there was a real thing made out of it, but sadly, it doesn’t exist here yet.
What I handed over was a kind of recipe.
The exact recipe for Damascus steel.
Yes.
This is the ingredient list that is the main core of Damascus steel.
What impurities should be included and how much should be included are written down.
“Is this going to be complete?”
“Wouldn’t that be easy?”
In the first place, the impurity entering the metal must be reproduced as it is in the table.
There is no hint of normal medieval technology.
Of course, this is not an ordinary medieval era, there is magic, alchemy, and dwarves.
Is there any possibility of realization?
“Is it possible?”
“I’ll have to try.”
I’m not saying it’s impossible.
Dwarves probably have their own pride.
In a place I can’t see, I’m probably going through trial and error to recreate it.
Will they be able to reproduce Damascus steel?
That’s something to look forward to later.
“okay. What do you want to see?”
“I am asking that now.”
As if he didn’t think I’d simply come to play, Aken finally asks me about the business that came to me.
If you ask me, don’t let me ask.
“When will it be possible to operate in earnest?”
“For now, there is no problem right now.”
he replied sullenly.
“If it is a product that requires a lot of hands, it will take time, but if it is a simple weapon or farming tool, it is not difficult.”
“That’s enough.”
“Do you need a weapon?”
It’s good that it’s easy to understand.
“I think I’ve bought in quite a lot before.”
When increasing the number of soldiers to protect the paper factory and the territory, I remember them accurately because I bought the armor and weapons they used from him.
“Actually, I need more.”
“You don’t look like you need one or two bags.”
If it is simply something that needs to be replenished from the current supply, I will personally come and force it… No, there is nothing to ask for.
“Actually, I need a little more.”
“Tell me specifically.”
I can’t.
I motioned and instructed Archen to come closer.
He frowns arrogantly and puts his face in my mouth.
I’m also annoyed at being close to you.
I spoke to him in a very kind voice and told him exactly how many weapons he needed this time.
“… do you need it?”
“.. what?!”
Wow…. This man’s expression has completely hardened.
“Ehehe! Is it a little too much?”
“That’s not a little bit! You crazy kid! hammer! Bring the sledgehammer!”
Ken screamed.
Wow, this man got pissed off and completely lost his taste.
If this continues, I think next time his hammer will aim properly at my head and fly away. I said, “Then I said! Take good care of me!
I believe that they will prepare it for me once I have told them.
Yes, 20,000 weapons and armor.
…. Seriously, won’t I be beaten to death by blacksmiths in the future?
Maybe I should watch my back.
*
*
Ian, the manager of the slave store, smiles brightly as usual.
“I never thought I would see you again this soon. Now I can even feel the intimacy, ahahahaha!”
Yeah, I think I’m going to fall in love with you now, seeing you for the third time.
Originally, I thought I wouldn’t be able to see you again within five years, but I never thought I’d see you again in half a year.
Is this also related?
Would you like to refrain from a close relationship with a merchant who seems to have oil in your stomach?
“You always have a lot of trouble coming a long way.”
“Then can you make it a little cheaper?”
“That’s embarrassing ahahahahaha.”
I come here often, but they give me a little discount.
I wanted to get the matter out of the way right away.
I’m going to buy a slave again anyway!
This time it is only needed for really serious purposes!
That’s why this time, I’m just going to buy things to live neatly and finish it.
After two big purchases, in Ian’s mind, as soon as I contacted him to see if I’d become a super VIP customer, he put other things aside and ran to priorities.
Moreover, preparations for war are just around the corner.
If my hunch is correct, there will probably be less than a year left before the Tripartite Alliance declares war.
Therefore, today it is necessary to quickly buy something and move on to the next item.
“Have you been preparing?”
“… First of all, I prepared my mind to deal with whatever deal Arel-sama wants.”
When I first contacted Ian, I warned him in advance, saying, “This time, we are going to do a more unprecedented transaction than other times, so be prepared.”
“I have already contacted the slave traders that I am in contact with. No matter how many slaves Arel-nim wants, I’ll get them right away.”
Since I had a record of purchasing 5,000 slaves before, it seems that I have prepared myself so that I can respond even if I call more than that.
“How many slaves do you want?”
I showed five fingers.
“Fifty thousand.”
“???? yes?”
Ian forgot to smile for a moment and did I hear something wrong? I am doubting my own ears.
“Fifty thousand.”
what’s the matter? It’s nothing.
It’s only roughly 10 times the amount of slaves traded last time. Kkkkkkkuk!
“… 50,000… 50,000?”
A shadow fell on his face.
hmm? Is this too much?
I expected that this would be possible and called him.
In the first place, even in the case of our Ernesia kingdom, the ratio of slaves and commoners, such as general serfs, was almost equal.
Basically, because they depend on agriculture, the nobles have a large number of slaves, and most of the territories have serf villages.
In the first place, even if you say slaves, as long as you don’t commit a crime, you’re just doing normal farming, soldiers, or hard work.
They say they give me a salary too.
Then what is the difference between a commoner and a slave?
Commoners can choose their occupation according to their abilities, but slaves do not have such freedom.
And above all, a crucial difference.
Slaves are not protected by the law.
For example, if a trader kills a slave with a wagon, no one will hold the trader accountable.
Of course, the slave owner can demand compensation, but it is only in the sense of property.
Slaves have no rights
No freedom, no rights.
Besides that, even if they are subjected to all kinds of unethical abuse, they do not protect slaves.
Although there is a slave law, it is only for the sale and management of slaves, not the kind that guarantees the rights of slaves themselves.
That alone is enough to make slaves miserable.
No matter what kind of tragedy happens, no one will protect you.
Even so, slaves themselves are needed in the world today.
so it doesn’t decrease
However, there are cases where a slave becomes a commoner depending on the lord’s mood or various methods.
Just like I took slaves to increase the villagers before and made them villagers.
However, it was a special decree under the pretext that it was because I had been inaugurated as a feudal lord.
In other words, the country is like a special gift from the royal family.
Even after that, to some extent, such preferential treatment does not occur.
After all, slavery is common.
Therefore, I decided that there was nothing that could not be saved.
In the first place, the troublesome procedure is that the kingdom strictly manages the law because it happens that blindly purchasing slaves and starving to death without properly managing them.
It’s difficult if the labor to work is drastically reduced.
Therefore, as long as the lord has sufficient ability, he can be saved.
“Can’t you find it?”
“It can be saved. It’s just… um… this is a little bit of a question.”
“What? say it.”
Don’t make me worry about it and say it’s nothing.
“Actually, the number of nobles who want to trade slaves has increased recently. Most nobles hoped for 2,000 to 3,000 slaves to use as soldiers.”
“yes. huh. so?”
“…I’m sorry, but would it be all right if I risked my rudeness to ask?”
“doesn’t care.”
I can probably guess what you’re asking.
“… Are you going to use all 50,000 as soldiers?”
It is not a question, but a certain certainty.
Perhaps even before me, nobles who wanted to trade slaves for soldiers had come and gone to his company quite a bit.
“Not all 50,000. As in the previous transaction, the number includes their families. But… let’s just say that what you imagined will be roughly correct.”
“…. okay.”
He’s probably already guessed what’s going on after several rounds of trading.
When a war breaks out, merchants are second only to nobles and sensitive to the information.
In particular, in the case of slave traders who provide valuable troops, the future fate of the merchant could be divided depending on whether or not to catch information.
“Arel-nim is already… no. It was a mistake.”
He deliberately pretended to be evasive.
However, there is no doubt that his eyes have a different look, like a merchant who is blinded by the pocket of gold coins in the future.
yes you smelled money
