Bike (5)
“Urgh. Heave!”
Hector hoisted the armful of cargo and heaved it up onto the cart.
“You’ve worked hard, Deputy Leader.”
“You too. Good work, all of you.”
Hector wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up at the building rising before them.
It sat a short distance south of Iron Hall’s central plaza—far enough that it wasn’t prime real estate, but still good. Maybe even better.
To the northwest, Iron Street held the entire district in its grip. The northeast belonged to the nobles’ residences. The central plaza and the eastern avenues had become the city’s main thoroughfares. The southern quarter, though, was nothing but ordinary general stores and market streets.
Push farther out and you hit the residential blocks where the lower classes lived.
That meant cheaper buildings and cheaper land. Which was exactly why he’d chosen the spot.
People were pouring into the rapidly developing Iron Hall these days; prices would only climb faster from here.
He had to stake his claim now, even if it meant pouring every last coin he had into it.
“This was the right call, wasn’t it?”
“Of course. Best decision you could’ve made.”
The merchant who’d come with him stuck both thumbs up.
“It’s a small building for now, but we’ll reclaim the Pacific Merchant Group’s former glory soon enough.”
“I’m certain of it. With the Blædwin family behind us, something like the Stens Union? We’ll swallow them whole!”
Hector let out a dry laugh at the man’s wild ambition.
“That place is bigger than the entire Mardan Principality, you idiot. Swallow them? Please.”
“But our technology is overwhelming, isn’t it?”
“Well… that’s true enough.”
Hector thought about it.
If they took even a single product developed at RMEL into the Stens Union, the whole place would turn upside down.
“Crisis became opportunity. Sometimes I wonder if the gods deliberately put the Pacific Merchant Group through that trial just so we could take this leap.”
“Should we go to a church and offer a prayer?”
“Maybe? Hmm—wait, is there even a church around here? How does a city this size not have a visible church?”
“I heard there is one, but it’s so small you wouldn’t notice.”
“Whatever. Has Matt gotten there safely? The Leader needs to hear this news.”
Living here day by day brought Hector real joy—but guilt rode alongside it.
The merchant group had been unfairly shaken to its foundations, and only he and a handful of others had fled here to the Mardan Principality.
“I’m sure they’re fine. The Leader is a tough one, after all. And those Raven and Black Hound bastards probably won’t bother them anymore. The Pacific Merchant Group isn’t even worth their attention now.”
At the mention of those names, Hector’s face twisted.
“Those sons of bitches will probably try to use the Pacific name to repair their own damaged image. Haa… I just hope the Leader is all right.”
“Don’t worry so much. Once Matt brings the Leader here, we’ll give them a proper welcome. Until then, let’s just focus on our own work!”
“Yeah. Matt’s going to be shocked, isn’t he? When he left, Iron Hall didn’t even have light bulbs.”
“Heh heh heh. Exactly. He’ll be stunned when he gets back. Even we are amazed watching Iron Hall change every single day.”
“Tell me about it. Who would’ve guessed this tiny country at the eastern edge of the continent was thriving like this? Especially when they barely trade with anyone.”
Hector had poured every coin he’d earned this time into the venture. Investment was the foundation of bigger profits. He was betting everything he had on the Blædwins.
And it was a bet with nearly a ninety-nine percent chance of paying off big.
“We could really use one of those trucks. Think we could talk Lord Robon into making us one?”
“He’s crazy for money, right? Just dump a clean thousand gold on him.”
“You lunatic. Where would I get that kind of money? We’re already running on empty. Move it. We’ve got cash to make.”
“Yes, sir!”
“From now on, we’re pulling overtime too.”
Fortunately, Vulcan had been steadily researching mana engines, so the related work progressed smoothly.
“Bikes should have different engines depending on their purpose, right? The one we built this time uses a single-cylinder engine, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. Enduro bikes need engines that deliver strong torque even at low RPMs. Single-cylinders are also light and relatively simple, which makes them easier to manufacture and repair.”
Sophia, Siena, and all the other Vulcan engineers hung on Robon’s every word, stuffing the knowledge into their heads as fast as they could.
“For the cruiser bikes, we’ll use a V-twin two-cylinder engine. Powerful torque, plus stable, smooth riding at low speeds—that’s the hallmark. For knights using them in combat situations, the V-twin is ideal.”
Scritch-scratch—scritch—
“V-twin two-cylinder… powerful torque…”
“Stable at low speeds. Perfect for knights. Hmm. Single-cylinders would be less stable by comparison.”
The researchers muttered to themselves, turning Robon’s words over and over.
“You’ll need to fabricate the necessary parts here. Role division is critical.”
The cylinders would be made at Vulcan, but the pistons—containing tungsten alloy—had to be produced in Blædwin territory.
Core components like the crankshaft, valves, and camshaft would also come from Blædwin, while connecting rods, purification units, lubrication systems, and cooling systems fell to Vulcan.
After sharing blueprints, diagrams, and process methods, Robon and Andersen returned to Blædwin lands.
Two days later the pair called in every blacksmith, engineer, and researcher from Helek and launched an emergency bike-production period.
“For about a week, let’s cut our sleep a little and work. I’ll make sure the pay reflects it.”
The engineers and researchers looked like the sky had fallen, but Robon deliberately ignored them.
What choice did he have? In conditions this poor, the only option was to drive the workforce hard.
If they’d been truly skilled it might have been different—but with limited ability, the only solution was to overinvest time.
I need to recruit people fast.
That meant educators and people with real field experience. It meant screening candidates who actually wanted to learn, and finishing the textbooks that would give them the basics.
There was no shortage of things to prepare.
He was already carving out scraps of time here and there to get ready.
I should put out a public notice soon.
He planned to ask His Excellency for help and blanket the entire principality with the announcement. With his recent rise in fame after the coming-of-age ceremony, plenty of applicants should show up.
Until then he had to rack up as many achievements as possible. The money from those would let him raise wages generously. That was how you attracted people.
“I’ll pay you handsomely.”
At those words the engineers’ faces softened a little.
The engineers who had once worked at Blædwin Castle had seen their wages jump after moving to RMEL.
So even overtime didn’t feel quite so unfair. The extra money they could bring home to their families made the difference.
When I think of how happy my son was about those new clothes last time… this much is nothing.
Thanks to Young Master Robon, the burden of Mother’s medicine is lighter. Hell, I can work through the night for that!
I never knew learning new things could be this fun. I lose track of time while I work.
Despite their exhausted exteriors, overall satisfaction among RMEL staff was high.
Except for three people who still hadn’t adapted.
Sssssaaahhh…
It was the dead of night. The clock whose hands never quite matched seemed to crawl even more slowly than usual.
“Aaaargh! My head’s going to explode!”
Darius shot to his feet and clawed at his hair.
Grant, who had just come back in from outside, had deeply sunken eyes.
“The clock’s wrong. By any mathematical calculation we should have clocked out ages ago. Why are we still here?”
“If it’s wrong, fix it! That thing’s never consistent—how are we supposed to trust it?”
“Why? Because the Lab Director and the Department Head never leave!”
Darius slammed his fist on the desk and stormed out. He crossed the corridor and stopped in front of the Lab Director’s office. Bright light glowed behind the frosted glass.
The light’s just on. That’s all. Yeah. Definitely.
He brainwashed himself and yanked the door open.
“Hm? Darius? What’s up?”
Robon Blædwin sat amid stacks of books piled as high as he was, furiously calculating something.
Did that man have infinite stamina? How had Darius never once seen him rest?
“Ah… I mistook this for the Department Head’s office. Sorry.”
“Oh, sure. Happens. Go on.”
“Yes, sir.”
Click.
He closed the door, shoulders sagging, and trudged back to the lab.
His two waiting colleagues took one look at him and turned away in disappointment.
“Doesn’t that guy ever get sick of it? He’s not human—he’s a machine. A machine.”
“Realistically that’s impossible, Darius. How could a machine act like a person—”
“I know that!”
“It’s so bright I can’t even sleep…”
Rebecca slumped over her desk, grumbling. Darius lifted his head and stared at the light bulb illuminating the room.
“Shit… I used to think that was an amazing invention.”
“It is amazing. That’s why we’re stuck here unable to sleep.”
Their faces grew greener by the hour. Compared to Helek, the workload was enough to make their heads explode.
Yet as they kept at it, they began to adapt, little by little.
“Is my brain being tricked too?”
“Damn it, now I keep thinking this is doable! Don’t adapt, you useless lump of flesh!”
“Weird. At this rate, maybe I could become someone who doesn’t need sleep.”
Before they knew it, the three of them were transforming into true RMEL researchers.
Clop-clop—clop-clop—
Dozens of horses and three massive carriages finally found a clearing midway up the Valces Mountains and made camp.
“This is insane. What kind of mountain path is this?”
The Valces Mountains were the most treacherous range on the continent. Only after crossing them could one reach Teranos, home of the Mardan Principality.
Jackie, leader of the Raven Merchant Group, was already regretting the journey.
He’d heard the stories, but he had never imagined the Valces Mountains would be this brutal.
They had brought the largest, sturdiest carriages the group owned, and already the wagons were creaking. One wrong move and they might fall apart completely.
But quitting wasn’t an option. They had received heavy backing from the Rodria family for this caravan. The cargo included top-tier warhorses available only in the southern continent—treasures worth nearly a thousand gold each.
Deliver them to the Mardan Principality and they could easily fetch double.
With Rodria knights escorting them, turning back now was simply unthinkable.
“Why not just give up already? If a carriage breaks, we’ll have to abandon everything.”
Selena needled him, but Jackie only snorted.
“What? Scared you’ll lose the Pacific Merchant Group?”
“Fine. Do whatever you want. Take it if you can.”
She was almost past caring.
A year ago, during the major trade that happened every three years, smugglers had ambushed them and ruined a huge portion of the goods. Even the salvaged stock had been denounced as defective and counterfeit, and the merchant guild had expelled them. Even then she hadn’t felt like this.
Bad luck, she’d told herself. Some misunderstanding.
But once she dug into the truth, her drive had steadily crumbled.
That trade disaster had been entirely engineered by a rival merchant group. The culprits were almost certainly the Raven bastards standing right in front of her.
She still lacked hard proof, but the circumstantial evidence was there.
The moment every one of their deals dried up, those men had swooped in and swallowed them whole as if they’d been waiting.
After that she’d tried everything to revive the debt-ridden Pacific Merchant Group, only for their interference to sabotage her at every turn.
Now they were even hunting for Hector. That had finally snapped the last thread of reason she’d been clinging to.
Whatever happens, happens.
It was a merchant group handed down through her family for generations. She had wanted to protect it no matter what…
But the time to let go seemed to have come.
“Heh. Funny—that guy over there doesn’t look like he’s given up at all.”
Beside her, Matt still refused to release the rope of hope and kept shouting at the top of his lungs.
“Hmph! You’ll regret it when you get there. Just keep your promise.”
“Bullshit.”
Jackie clicked his tongue and returned to his place.
“Matt, is it true? Does something like that really exist?”
“I’m telling you it does! Trust me!”
If Matt was this insistent, it probably wasn’t a lie. But a carriage that moved by itself without horses? That was absurd.
Fine. Grant that magic or mana engineering could somehow make it possible.
Actually using the thing would clearly require a mountain of mana stones. And it was faster than a horse and didn’t shake much?
Even a rough estimate of the mana-stone cost made it the pinnacle of inefficiency—something even the richest great merchant groups of the Stens Union wouldn’t touch.
And yet.
“People there are going crazy trying to buy automobiles, I’m telling you!”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It does!”
“How?”
“How should I know? Ask Lord Robon Blædwin when we get there. Only he knows.”
“Robon… Blædwin? That good-for-nothing of the Blædwin family?”
She’d heard the name two years ago. He’d made a complete spectacle of himself at his own coming-of-age ceremony. A traveler who’d been there had told her.
“That’s all baseless rumor. Lord Robon is incredibly brilliant. Even the scholars of the Stens Union probably couldn’t hold a candle to him.”
“…What nonsense are you spouting? Did someone brainwash you?”
Matt thumped his chest in frustration.
“Aigoo! Seriously! Just go and see for yourself!”
“Fine! Let’s go. We’re already going. At this point it’s all or nothing. Either that automobile thing really exists and we clear our debts, or we hand the merchant group over to those pieces of trash.”
Even if they handed it over, they had agreed the merchants’ freedom would be protected. That was enough.
I just have to sacrifice myself. Only me. It’s all my responsibility.
After days of struggle the Raven Merchant Group finally crossed the Valces Mountains. Between monster packs that ambushed them and the merciless terrain, they looked half-dead.
Yet the simple fact that they had left that nightmare range behind filled them with relief.
“No wonder nobody comes to this godforsaken place! Shit.”
Of the original three carriages only two remained; of the fifteen warhorses, thirteen.
The losses just from crossing already ran into thousands of gold. Jackie ground his teeth and called to Selena, who rode behind him.
“You’re going to cover every last bit of this damage, Selena. Remember that.”
She only turned her head away without answering.
“Where are we? Blædwin’s Iron Cliff territory?”
“No. Looking at the open fields, this should be the Lobel family’s Green Field territory.”
“Oh… really? The Lobels are supposed to be pretty rich, aren’t they?”
Jackie’s mouth twisted into a smirk.
Endless plains stretched before them.
Well-tended paddies and fields covered the vast land; crops grew thick and green.
Warm daylight mixed with the chill of night—the threshold between living and labor. Countless farmers were tilling the soil with plows.
Jackie sneered as he watched them.
“Automobiles? Please. In a place where farmers till the land themselves instead of even using beasts—”
At that moment a loud engine roar snapped every head toward the sound.
Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle…
Even from a distance the massive red body was unmistakable. It moved while belching pure white smoke tinged with blue light skyward, like a whale spouting water.
Where horses should have been, curved blades bit into the earth and spun, flipping the soil as they went.
Clods of broken dirt and shattered stones flew up, slammed into the rear iron plate, and bounced away.
The bizarre, utterly unfamiliar sight left the merchant party frozen in open-mouthed shock.
And then—
“What the hell are those?”
Erdin Lobel, arms draped over the tiller’s handle and straw hat on his head, happened to spot them and frowned.