Chapter 90
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 90
Chapter Title: Industrial Revolution (14)
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Strange rumors were spreading, but I decided to focus on the task at hand for now.
Regardless of the rumors, the lathes needed to be supplied to the factories.
Handcrafting like we had been doing just wouldn't cut it anymore.
Above all, we couldn't mass-produce engines that way.
I needed to ramp up production quickly and sell more.
Only then could I move on to other things.
I finished drafting the plans with Professor Herman and headed to the assembly hall.
The road to the assembly hall was surprisingly quiet.
Maybe the nobles hadn't gathered yet, or perhaps there were just fewer people today?
Either way, it gave me a chance to calm my mind and prepare.
Upon arriving at the assembly hall, we immediately began setting up.
The lathe we were showcasing wasn't flashy.
In other words, I had to win them over with words rather than a performance.
"Think you can pull it off? No, I know you will."
"Where does that blind faith come from?"
"Think about the things you've developed. Even the mass-produced golems are commonplace now."
True enough.
They weren't just used by territorial armies anymore; they were part of everyday life.
Of course, some people still couldn't afford them, but that was the exception.
Setup was complete. Now it was time to wait for the nobles.
I headed to a nearby inn and stayed the night.
Professor Herman had his own reserved lodging, so he slept elsewhere.
The next morning, when I opened my eyes, the streets were bustling.
Every single carriage belonged to nobles.
"...They must have limited the number of nobles, right?"
So why were there so many nobles visible?
I couldn't be sure yet, but a vague unease settled in.
Were they here just to gawk from outside?
"Or trying to force their way in?"
Either way, it spelled trouble.
Still, I'd prefer the former.
At least that wouldn't disrupt things inside the assembly hall.
Of course, things didn't go my way.
As soon as I left the inn, not only was the road packed with carriages, but people who recognized me started approaching.
"Hey! It's Edn Rerangbur!"
"Where, where!"
"Oh no...!"
I quickly shut the inn door and dashed back to my room.
People pounded on the door outside, but the sharp-eyed innkeeper held them off.
Alright, so how do I slip out?
The front gate was blocked.
Going that way would be like asking to be caught.
Rejected.
What about the window?
I cracked it open and peered down. No good there either.
Someone had even pinpointed my room and was trying to climb up with magic.
Tsk, a sudden time attack.
I racked my brain for an escape route.
Then I remembered the back door and headed there with the owner's permission.
"Oh, no one's here."
Being staff-only, the back alley was deserted.
Of course, if more people swarmed, it'd get dangerous, but I had to escape first.
I bolted out the back door and started running.
There was some distance to the assembly hall building, so if I didn't sprint, I'd be late or caught.
I dashed through alleys, but hit a dead end.
No choice but to head to the main road.
"Wow, I have to run all the way to the assembly hall from here."
Will my legs hold up?
For now, I cast a basic reinforcement spell on them.
I scanned the surroundings, waited for a gap, and darted onto the main street.
As soon as I plunged into the crowd, shouts erupted around me.
"It's Edn Rerangbur!"
"Ah! I have a question! Stop!"
No way I'm stopping.
This wasn't the assembly hall; I didn't have time to chat here.
I couldn't even hop on a carriage, so running was my only option.
I ignored their desperate cries and kept sprinting.
It was manageable at first, but soon my breath grew ragged, and my running form grew unsteady.
"Huff! Damn...!"
Fortunately, I reached the assembly hall before collapsing from exhaustion.
But the main entrance was swarming with nobles too.
I had no choice but to use the staff passage to slip inside.
Navigating the winding corridors, I arrived at the waiting room where Professor Herman was.
He approached me in surprise as soon as he saw me.
"Edn! You're safe."
"Yes. What about you, Professor?"
"I'm fine. I came early when it was still quiet, so it was easier for me."
Did he foresee this?
Anyway, glad the professor was safe.
More importantly, it was almost time to start.
Things had been chaotic, but the presentation was about to begin.
Professor Herman sensed the moment and patted my shoulder.
"Don't get nervous. Speak clearly. Not that you would falter."
"No, seriously, where does this bottomless confidence come from?"
I asked, but got no answer.
Instead, he pushed my back, urging me to hurry.
Resigned to not getting a reply, I headed to the main hall.
As I entered slowly, gazes stabbed at me from all sides.
"He's finally here."
"Wonder what he'll show us this time."
Their expectations were sky-high. Was this okay?
The lathe wasn't flashy.
It might be needless worry, but they could be disappointed.
That could derail my next plans.
I felt a moment of anxiety, then recalled the professor's words and took a deep breath.
"Whew, yeah. I've come this far—what am I even worrying about."
I shook my head lightly and strode forward confidently.
Standing before the cloth-covered lathe, I bowed at the waist.
"Greetings, everyone."
My single word silenced the room instantly.
It was a bit burdensome, but I didn't mind much.
"From this moment, you will witness the future."
Like at the mana network presentation, confidence was key. Always believe in yourself and project it boldly.
Even if it was bravado.
Without further ado, I pulled off the cloth and shouted.
"First, feast your eyes on this!"
As the lathe was revealed, they furrowed brows or leaned forward in unison.
Concentrating to figure out what this machine did.
I turned on the lathe's power, secured the workpiece, and spoke.
"Until now, we've made things only with small tools and human hands. Relying solely on craftsmanship. But from today, that's no longer necessary. This machine will replace both tools and hands."
I pressed the button to start it.
Carefully manipulating the lever on the slowly rotating workpiece, I began shaping it.
Admiration rippled through the crowd.
"Is it automatically carving right now?"
"No. More precisely, it's shaping faster and more conveniently!"
Wow, worth picking them carefully.
Having selected factory owners first, they were analyzing it themselves.
I stopped after some light machining, removed the piece, and showed it off.
"Faster and more precise than human hands. Minimal error, and far greater output. But that's not all."
I explained the future plans.
As I'd told the professor: milling machines, spinning machines, and more.
I detailed the various machines for mass production.
Even in brief explanations, I could feel their eyes changing with each one.
When the presentation ended, the factory owners were practically drooling.
"We want a contract."
"What? No, us first!"
Hey, wait a second?
Suddenly, they started fighting over who got to contract first.
I hadn't even mentioned the word "contract" yet.
I tried to calm them, but they were already raising their voices.
So I slipped out quietly.
Rushing back to the waiting room, I left it entirely to Professor Herman.
"I'm counting on you, Professor."
"Edn? Wait—."
"See you later!"
And with that, I ditched the professor and bolted.
Ignoring his desperate calls from behind as best I could.
A few days passed since I ditched the professor and fled.
A letter arrived, thankfully saying everything had been resolved smoothly.
I ignored the suspiciously heavily inked handwriting.
With that settled, I could now tackle the next issue.
Taking Biena beside me and the bored Katiranya, I headed to the factory.
This was the factory where strange rumors had spread.
Rumor had it they were even preparing a strike.
So I needed to resolve it quickly.
Katiranya, listening to my explanation, asked,
"You're volunteering for a hassle. Why not send underlings?"
"I thought about it, but my gut says going myself will sort it out easier."
My intuition told me this approach would resolve it much more smoothly.
Katiranya shrugged and didn't pry further.
Instead, she gazed out the window and said something ominous.
"If negotiations break down, just tell me. I'll handle it quietly."
"No, please don't."
"Hmph, no fun."
No, this isn't about fun.
Lately, she's been craving excitement. If I don't sort her out soon, she'll cause trouble.
As I pondered accelerating my plans a bit, we arrived at the factory.
We all got out and went inside, where we saw the striking workers.
"Guarantee our jobs!"
"Guarantee! Guarantee! Guarantee!"
They even had a megaphone from somewhere.
The factory owner was sweating bullets, looking troubled.
I approached slowly and greeted them.
"Hello. I'm Edn Rerangbur."
"What? You?"
The owner was shocked, and so was the strike leader among the workers.
The leader seemed especially stunned.
Did he not expect me to come personally?
Anyway, before he could recover, I pressed on.
"I have no intention of firing any of you. If you're still anxious, let's negotiate. It won't be bad for you either."
"What do we do?"
One of the men asked the flustered leader.
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"Fine, let's talk. But if I don't like it, we pretend this didn't happen."
"Of course. I won't disappoint you."
Good, I've secured the meeting.
I took the leader and a few others to the factory owner's office.
There, we'd negotiate terms to apply to other factories too.
Of course, I had zero intention of losing.
I'd create conditions everyone could be satisfied with.