Chapter 77

The next evening.

Ichirou and Lise, who had continued working in the granary area from the previous day, visited a workshop with Zirconia as planned. The servants, such as Eira and Marie, had already returned to the mansion, and only a few guards accompanied Ichirou and Lise. The workshop they visited was that of a carpenter, and in one corner of the spacious grounds, several logs were stacked, waiting to be cut. The grounds also included a building for storing processed lumber and a building for work.

Now, the three of them were sitting around a table in the work building with an elderly carpenter, facing a diagram of waterwheel parts spread out on the table. He was the master of the workshop, a veteran carpenter with 40 years of experience. Zirconia had just explained the precision issues with the waterwheel parts to the master, but after hearing the explanation, the master remained silent with a difficult expression.

There were three young male carpenters in the workshop, working diligently with bronze chisels and mallets, relying on the light of the candles placed nearby. Apparently, for the four years since the ceasefire treaty was signed, the workshop had been operating like this, and they continued working until midnight every day. The master remained silent for a while, then finally spoke, looking pained.

"…Probably, the poor-quality parts were made by the workshop two doors down, the Krupp's. They should be drilling holes for the waterwheel blades, so if there's a variation in the rotational speed, it must be due to that. If it still doesn't work, it's the workshop that makes the outer rim of the wheel."

"Then, let's go to that workshop now. Kazura, Lise, let's go."

Encouraging Ichirou and Lise, Zirconia headed for the exit. Ichirou also thanked the master, saying, "Thank you for your time," and followed Zirconia to the exit.

"…Lady Zirconia, I know I'm not in a position to say this, but please hear me out."

Just as the three were about to leave the workshop, the master suddenly called out to Zirconia.

"Hmm, what is it?"

Zirconia, who was called by the master with a very tense expression, stopped, turned around, and tilted her head. Ichirou and Lise also turned around and looked at the master with expressions of curiosity.

"We are craftsmen. Once we take on a job, it's our duty to complete it no matter what, and we understand that there can be no flaws in the work we take on. If the Krupp's were the cause of the problem with the waterwheel parts, I would beat the living daylights out of him if I were his master. But this time, could you please let it slide?"

"…Well, let's sit down and talk about it."

Zirconia, who heard the master's somber words, returned to the workshop and sat down on a round chair at the table, inviting the master to sit as well. Ichirou and Lise also followed and sat down on a wooden bench nearby. The young carpenters who were working in the room stopped their work and silently turned to the master. The master, sitting down, looked at Zirconia with a pleading expression.

"The Krupp's lost his father and his top apprentice in the recent war. Many workshops have lost skilled craftsmen or have them injured, leaving them short-handed. My own workshop lost one who had been working with me for a long time, and another who lost his right hand and can no longer work as a carpenter. The ones here are their children and relatives."

"…Please continue."

Zirconia, with a serious expression, encouraged the master to continue. The master, looking at Zirconia, spoke with a helpless tone.

"We understand that we must accept the lord's requests even if it means delaying other work, and we accepted the recent request because we understood that it was essential for the territory. We all understand that there is no excuse for lowering the quality just because we were rushed. But..."

The master paused there, his voice slightly trembling.

"We have our limits too. Skilled craftsmen were sent to the front lines to repair weapons and build camps, and many elderly craftsmen died from illness due to the unfamiliar camp life. Craftsmen don't just grow in a few years; it takes 20 or 30 years to become proficient. Isteria has no replacements left."

The young carpenters, who were listening to the master's words, gasped. The master's words could be interpreted as a criticism of Isteria's leaders, Zirconia and Nalson.

"Mother, the master's words are reasonable."

Just as Zirconia was about to say something, Lise interrupted her.

"The craftsmen are working hard for the territory. Please don't blame them."

"Huh? I wasn't going to..."

Zirconia, who was protecting the craftsmen, looked puzzled. The master and Lise seemed to have misunderstood, thinking that Zirconia was going to punish the craftsmen for the defective parts. Zirconia had no intention of doing so and understood that the craftsmen, including carpenters, were working hard every day. That's why she had already given the craftsmen involved in the waterwheel project more generous advance payments and had not specified the number of items to be produced, even though she had urged them to hurry.

"Miss Lise... thank you..."

"How kind..."

But, moved by Lise's words, the carpenters expressed their gratitude. Zirconia, who was about to speak in defense, closed her mouth and remained silent, as the atmosphere had somehow settled. To save face for Ichirou, she decided to take on the role of the bad guy.

"I understand. I won't punish you just because there were flaws in the items you delivered. If we can identify and fix the cause, that will be enough."

Hearing Zirconia's words, the carpenters exclaimed, "Oh!" and, for some reason, repeatedly thanked Lise again. Lise smiled warmly at the carpenters.

(…Am I really that scary?)

Zirconia, standing slightly to the side, looked a bit hurt.

(…Well, thank you for your hard work…)

Ichirou, sensing Zirconia's thoughts from her expression, silently offered words of encouragement.

About three hours later.

After visiting several workshops, the three returned to the mansion and quickly had dinner with Nalson.

Currently, Ichirou is having a discussion with Zirconia and Nalson in the study. Lise, as usual, is taking a bath and plans to go to bed after that. Lise seems to have a habit of going to bed early, so it must be difficult for her to stay up late to do paperwork.

According to what Ichirou heard from Nalson earlier, Lise is 14 years old. For a girl her age, staying up late is bad for both her beauty and growth, so even if she offers to help, everyone will tell her to go to bed.

"After visiting the workshops, it seems that all of them are short of both manpower and skilled craftsmen... Given the amount of work they have, it's no wonder there are quality issues with the parts."

"I thought I had a good grasp of the situation of the craftsmen... It seems my management was not effective. I apologize..."

Zirconia, saying this, lowered her head with a somber expression. After that, when Ichirou and the others visited the workshops, they heard the same story from the craftsmen about the shortage of skilled workers and manpower, just like the master of the first workshop they visited. At first, the craftsmen were intimidated by Zirconia and did not immediately speak about what was lacking, but with encouragement from Ichirou and Lise, they gradually opened up about their current situation.

"Well, given the situation, it's understandable. We need to make up for the lack of manpower with tools. I'll consider providing a sawmill that uses the waterwheel's rotational power to cut wood, as well as other tools. If we can improve the efficiency of the work, it should significantly reduce the burden on the craftsmen."

"…Yes."

Although Ichirou said this, Zirconia's expression remained cloudy. When Ichirou first arrived in Isteria, she seemed more assertive, but recently she has become more passive and reserved. Ichirou was worried that she might be losing confidence due to a series of mishaps related to her.

"Don't look so down. It will be fine, I'm sure."

"…Yes, thank you."

Hearing Ichirou's words, Zirconia finally smiled. It was a somewhat shadowed smile, but it was better than being downcast all the time.

"Regarding the carpenter's workshop, this is good for now. As for the blacksmiths and well-diggers we visited together, I'll look into what we can do when we return to the Kingdom of God. Especially for the wells, it's a significant issue for hygiene in areas where river water is not available, so we need to address it."

After visiting several carpenter's workshops, Ichirou and the others also visited the workshops of blacksmiths and well-diggers. The problems the blacksmiths mentioned were exactly the same as those heard from the carpenters, so introducing machinery could help. However, the well-diggers mentioned additional issues.

When digging wells in Isteria, they usually hit a layer of brown sand at a depth of about 6 to 8 meters, and water starts to flow. However, the quality of this water is poor, and it can turn white cloth red overnight. It also has a bad taste and can cause health problems if consumed over a long period. According to the well-diggers, there is a layer of bedrock below the brown sand, and they use wood to build the well frame on top of it. Sometimes they use stone, but it is expensive, so wood is more commonly used.

"Thank you. The well water has been a problem for a long time, and the residents in areas far from the river have been inconvenienced. We had resigned ourselves to this issue, as it was impossible to run water channels throughout the city."

Nalson bowed in gratitude at Ichirou's offer. If the well problem is solved, Isteria's hygiene issues will improve significantly. Although well-digging is an unknown field for Ichirou, he can seek advice from specialists or obtain well-digging tools when he returns to Japan.

"By the way, when we visited the well-diggers, Lise seemed to be talking quite warmly with the craftsmen. Does Lise often visit the workshops?"

When they visited the well-diggers, the craftsmen initially seemed intimidated by Zirconia, but their expressions relaxed when they saw Lise, and they spoke to her warmly. Ichirou had heard Lise say "Thank you always" to the craftsmen, so he wondered if they had been interacting for some time.

"Yes, that's probably because Lise buys the mud used for hair and skin care directly from the well-diggers. Some of the hair care products used by noblewomen and the cleaning agents used in the mansion are purchased from the well-diggers. Many use soap, but Lise prefers the mud."

"Ah, mud... Is it better to use than soap?"

"Depending on the quality, the mud Lise uses, called 'White Slime,' is of the highest grade and is far superior to soap. Would you like to try it, Kazura? I can have Lise prepare some for you."

"Hmm... Then, I'll ask Lise myself next time. It sounds interesting."

Although the idea of washing with mud didn't immediately click, Ichirou remembered that mud face masks and mud packs were sold by cosmetics companies in Japan. If they are used in Japan, they must have performance comparable to scientifically produced soaps and detergents.

"Does Zirconia use the mud?"

"I don't pay much attention to such things... But maybe I'll try it once."

While engaging in such casual conversation, the three continued to discuss the future of the workshops.

"Glass, flour mill, and threshing machine... This will be a considerable amount. It will take some time to prepare..."

After the discussion, Ichirou returned to his room and sat on the bed, writing down the items he planned to prepare in Japan in his university notebook. He was organizing the information to avoid forgetting or overlooking anything before leaving for Gricia village the next morning. Since the distance between Isteria and Gricia village is a two-day walk one way, it would be impractical to return immediately if something was forgotten.

"If we push it with a carriage and cavalry, we can reach the village in one day, but if we go too fast, I and Marie will get sick in the carriage. Can't something be done about that carriage..."

The road from Isteria to Gricia village is unpaved, so speeding in a carriage is practically suicidal. Even with essential oils, it would be too much to ask of Marie. During the last urgent trip to Gricia village, Marie suffered from the intense carriage vibrations.

"Okay, receive the generator and check the progress of the construction plan..."

Muttering to himself, Ichirou worked on his university notebook until late at night.

Incidentally, Eira was waiting for Ichirou in the kitchen, but Ichirou, busy with preparations for the next day, did not visit the kitchen. In the end, Eira only remembered that Ichirou was leaving for Gricia village the next day after she returned to her room, feeling slightly dejected, and got into bed.