Chapter 129
Chapter 129
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Intermission (1)
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"So, you're saying the Tureil Merchant Group asked to delay payment for the pitch balls?"
"Y-Yes..."
"And you just accepted that as is?"
"B-But I didn't just let it slide! We agreed to interest based on the grace period, and from the next deal onward, we could raise our cut a bi..."
"Tch, you still haven't learned! Interest? Future deals?"
In the office of the Hubert Merchant Company's head.
A short-statured dwarf was bellowing at a merchant standing before him.
Several merchants who had come for reports glanced around nervously at his furious intensity, but Howard, who had been fuming, took a deep breath and continued in a calmer tone.
"Hoo, you know pitch balls are essential for smelting, right?"
"...Of course."
"And you know the situation up north."
"...Yes."
"Knowing that, you hand over something that's basically military supplies in wartime and expect what? Interest? Intere~st?"
But his calm didn't last long, and the shouting erupted again.
Iron was the most basic material for weapons, and pitch balls were the indispensable fuel for producing high-quality iron.
In these war times when weapon production was surging, finding buyers was a piece of cake.
Yet they'd brought the goods risking frozen funds from non-payment, only to settle for 'standard interest' and 'vague future concessions'...
No wonder he was furious.
"...A merchant wouldn't miss something that basic."
Howard, his face flushed as he vented his rage, muttered quietly and fixed his gaze on the merchant, who only bowed his head.
The mere ordinary dwarf craftsman's presence silently devoured the space, creating an atmosphere so heavy it was hard to breathe.
"Looks like someone tried to line their own pockets while Hubert was away. Do I look like a joke to you?"
"N-No! That's a misunderstanding...!"
"We'll find out when we investigate."
"W-Wait! Mr. Howard! Just hear me out...!"
Finally, guards entered at his signal and dragged the merchant away, leaving the office in heavy silence.
"What are you lot standing around for? No time to waste—next one, report!"
But even that didn't last.
The tense session ended only after Howard heard all reports and issued his directives.
"Alright, I'm off then. Handle anything minor on your own and report later unless it's critical!"
Only after Howard, who had finished his duties, vanished could the Hubert merchants finally breathe easy.
"Haa—felt just like dealing with the boss himself."
"You too? At first, I thought, 'Who's this random dwarf sitting in as proxy?'..."
The Hubert merchants murmured among themselves as they dispersed.
When Hubert suddenly left due to an emergency and Howard was named acting head, they naturally bristled.
A unfamiliar dwarf, barely in the company, suddenly lording over them?
How sincerely could the merchants who built the company follow an unproven outsider meddling in operations?
Of course, no one was dumb enough to show it in front of Harley, the co-head who appointed him directly, with his intimidating muscles.
"Still, he must be in contact with the boss. Those directives felt straight from him."
"I was worried too. Thought the boss vanishing might be some plot... but seems fine now."
They followed Howard since Harley appointed him, but watched him closely.
Wondering if this was all a scheme to seize the company.
But he only worked to keep things running smoothly, showing no signs of siphoning profits or assets.
At most, supplying materials to his personal workshop.
Which Hubert had approved from the start anyway.
"Speaking of, did Kaol really take a bribe from Tureil?"
"Urgh—not confirmed yet, but suspicious as hell."
"Guy's got no fear."
"Tell me about it."
The merchants shook their heads, clucking their tongues.
With the captain away, greed was understandable, but acting on it was pure recklessness.
Especially after Harley himself warned them.
Tarac's merchant scene was laser-focused on supplying the Steel Citadel, the front lines.
News flowed in real-time, and the hottest topic was his monstrous exploits.
'And with Tarac security openly patrolling around us, any funny business would be idiotic.'
Kaol had apparently covered his tracks with excuses, but...
As Howard said, it was basically insulting him.
'Not just parroting the boss's orders. That suffocating charisma too... Gotta double-check my own work.'
The merchant, now truly convinced, hurried back to his tasks.
And he wasn't the only one thinking that.
Despite Hubert's absence—
The company sailed smoothly under Howard's efforts and Harley's influence.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Agh, wish Hubert would hurry back! Time's too precious. But I can't just slack off at the company either!"
Howard grumbled nonstop as he entered a building.
After wrapping up company work, he'd headed straight to his nearby personal workshop.
He was handling company duties out of necessity, but his real goal was cramming Earth's knowledge into himself using time dilation.
Company time barely registered with the time difference, so he still spent most days in the workshop...
But at this foundational stage, every minute counted.
'Even with a tenfold time ratio, knowing something intellectually isn't the same as embodying it.'
His daily quota had piled up massively.
To catch up, he needed to hustle from now on.
"Ahem! Time to start today's work!"
Changed into work clothes, Howard stretched lightly and approached the glowing forge.
A magical forge that stayed hot even in his absence, with full safety features against fire.
He'd spared no expense, so the workshop brimmed with such conveniences.
All to let him focus purely on raising his skill.
'Hmm, needs more heat.'
Howard checked the temperature with a casual hand wave, then tossed in a heap of coal with practiced ease.
The surging heat stabilized at his ideal temperature.
'Perfect.'
Impressive for someone new to serious practice, but routine for him.
'Human senses are definitely different. No wonder dwarves are called artisan kin—this gap is insane.'
What humans learned through endless experience, dwarves did instinctively.
They could gauge fire temperature to decimals just by sight and feel.
Holding coal let them intuit the heat rise.
Hammers felt perfectly balanced; fingertips sensed material traits vividly—inhuman gifts.
Plus innate dexterity and sturdy bodies; starting lines miles apart.
Expecting competition was cruel.
'Lucky I'm the dwarf this time.'
Starting from scratch without merits would've taken forever...
Gratitude welled for pickaxe Elinne and generous Jaonik.
"Hum-hum! Light iron ore smelting to start!"
Howard grabbed pitch balls, limestone, and such from the corner, diving into diligent training.
In extreme focus, Earth's knowledge soaked into his brain like a sponge.
Photos, videos, docs—refined info reborn through his hands into flesh and blood.
Clang—! Claaang—!
Thus, in this small, overlooked workshop, one artisan steadily grew.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Warm light enveloped the bedridden, groaning Hubert.
The healing power of the Outerica Holy Method aided his body's recovery, infusing vitality.
'Recovery's faster than expected? No need for days—tomorrow I can move. Underestimated myself.'
Instant Death Immunity had downgraded the lethal wound's damage, healing quicker than thought.
Heinrich's holy recovery and Super Recovery's synergy exceeded expectations.
I'd overestimated recovery time based on prior Heinrich experience.
Heinrich had peak conditioning: iron physique from training, divine power blessings, shared Super Recovery.
Even so, post-fight with Immortal King Hans, he convalesced nearly a month in Roselia's Grand Cathedral.
Thus, Hubert—with worse base stats minus Super Recovery, inferior healing—got a pessimistic estimate.
'Forgot Heinrich faced the Immortal King.'
Same 'lethal' wound, worlds apart in severity.
Heinrich battled vile curses hindering recovery; Hubert's was just cleanly crushed heart and guts.
'Worse in a way, but Instant Death Immunity limited it to heavy organ damage.'
And such injuries mended fast with Super Recovery and holy healing synergy.
Enough to send him via next portal cooldown.
"Hm, once Hubert leaves, I'll be stuck with that boring task again..."
I eyed Hubert gloomily, lying and fiddling his tablet with one finger.
Naturally, for transmitting metallurgy knowledge to Howard.
Reading sufficed for 'understanding' via his brain, but the process was tedious.
Stuffing vast data mindlessly wasn't fun.
'Avatars filter tedium via Mind Hub for rote work, but I'm raw willpower.'
My reinforced mind surpassed human limits, yet...
I couldn't feel it starkly.
Because...
'I'm juggling eight bodies at once.'
All but Hubert were mental drains.
Plus dimension lag adaptation, Mind Hub-led but still taxing mental pollution resistance.
Mental resources always felt short, no matter how abundant.
'Only one fix for this.'
But as always, I had a breakthrough.
Reinforce unique skill, make new avatar.
Avatar was unbeatable.