Chapter 2 - 02 Industrial Magic
Once it was clear that he had a talent for magic, Steve spent his days back in the territory confirming its effects.
In the Archibalt territory, which had a population of only 300 and just two villages, there was no need to worry about spies. However, since one cannot put a lock on people's mouths and they didn't know what would happen if the villagers saw the magic, the father and son confirmed the effects alone at the lord's manor.
Furthermore, Steve's family consisted of his father, his mother, and two older sisters. One of the sisters had already married into another noble family, while the younger of the two was still at home. Being 13 years old, she did not yet have a fiancé and was currently undergoing bridal training.
Her name was Sherry. Like Steve, she had black eyes and black hair. Originally, she had a cute face, but as she grew, her features were changing, giving a premonition that she would become a beauty like her mother. Fortunately, the eldest sister had married the eldest son of a Knightly house, but for the younger sister, offers were coming in from wealthy merchants and nobles to take her as a concubine, taking advantage of House Archibalt's plight.
As parents, even if it were to be a political marriage, they wanted to find a better match for her. However, since they had no plan for repaying the borrowed money, they feared their daughter would be taken as collateral for the debt.
With things as they were, now that Steve had a talent for magic, it was impossible to tell them not to get their hopes up.
Brian wore a smile at the effects of Steve's magic.
"You can make iron?"
Yes, before the eyes of father and son lay iron created with magic. No, to be precise, it was steel. It sat there in a pile. In truth, Steve's magical power was so vast as to be peerless; he would not run out of mana easily.
If one were a Fire-attribute mage, they wouldn't use mana once they ignited something and it continued to burn, so they were far removed from mana depletion. However, those with the Water attribute, for instance, could not create water in large quantities. Indeed, if one tried to besiege a castle with water, mages with enough mana to do so were exceedingly rare.
But if Steve had been Water-attributed, he had enough mana to make that possible.
And on top of that, he had the magic of Steel Creation.
"Father, it is steel, not iron. Even so, compared to the cast iron widely used in this country, the carbon content is extremely low, so it should sell for a high price as high-quality steel."
"Then, when the next peddler comes, let us have him buy this as merchandise, under the pretense that it was produced in our territory."
"No, if we do that, they will investigate the source of this steel. If high-quality steel suddenly appears when the firewood consumption in our territory hasn't increased, the acquisition route will be doubted. Besides, we don't have the know-how for blast furnaces."
Steve cautioned his eager father.
Know-how for blast furnaces and the like was monopolized by a portion of the nobility and the state. While one might not say 'iron is the state,' it was a vital strategic resource. If it was high-quality iron with low carbon content, it became a top-priority secret.
They might be able to build a simple blast furnace, but a furnace capable of producing high-purity iron was impossible overnight.
"Then, shall we make it look like we are purchasing firewood?"
"We don't have the funds to purchase it, do we?"
"Now that you mention it, that is true. Then what shall we do?"
Asked this, Steve answered.
"Let's claim we received it from Margrave Sowell as a provision for emergencies. And that we put a portion of it up for sale to fund the difficult management of the territory. The other party won't likely be able to inquire with His Excellency, so the lie won't be exposed. Besides, it can be broadly interpreted that my magic is being kept in this territory as a provision for emergencies."
It was a strained excuse, but he had come up with it thanks to his experience in his previous life, where he had to devise excuses that were barely not lies during negotiations with credit unions to secure operating capital.
The thought of being found out was frightening, but in a situation where they had no choice but to secure immediate operating capital, the end justified the means. Though, deceiving a financial institution is problematic.
In any case, they had a prospect for immediate payments. Assuming a peddler actually came, that is.
Then, Steve tried using the Steel Creation magic under various conditions. One thing he discovered was that as long as it was something called 'steel,' he could bring it into existence with magic. Whether it was S45C, carbon steel pipes, H-beams, spring steel, tamahagane, or even Damascus steel, he could create it.
Furthermore, the shape of the steel was also free. Spearheads and arrowheads were a given, but he could even produce coil springs. In a situation where there were no machine tools, it was extremely helpful to have materials that could be cold-forged.
A few days later.
The Archibalt territory was located along the border, and economically, there was no particular merit in visiting it. Even so, Margrave Sowell exerted pressure to ensure that daily necessities like salt were sold there periodically.
This was a problem faced not only by House Archibalt but by small noble houses everywhere.
The peddler who was forced to do business with the meritless House Archibalt was Emmanuel Grande. Despite the possibility of being attacked by bandits, he arrived at the Archibalt territory during the cold month of February, where no profit was to be made, and let out a sigh.
"Haa, another month of doing business here that won't even turn a profit."
He grumbled as he arrived in the Archibalt territory during the cold season. He resented the chairman of the large trading company who had designated him, wondering why it had to be him.
That chairman was plotting to take House Archibalt's daughter, Sherry, as a mistress, so Emmanuel wanted to tell him to just come on the peddling trip with his own company. How much easier would life be if he were in a position to say that? He could say it, but he would likely be blacklisted from the western region.
His resentment also turned toward House Archibalt.
"Seriously, their payments are delayed and my accounts receivable are just piling up, which affects my own procurement. It's not like I have plenty of funds either; I want them to pay up soon."
Individual shops and eateries that procure with cash hate selling on credit. It's the same with card payments. In fact, they hate card payments even more because the shop has to bear the transaction fees.
The reason they hate credit sales is that while procurement is done upfront with cash, revenue only comes in at the end of the month or the month after, or even the month after that. If operating capital is precarious, a business can go bankrupt even if it's in the black.
At this rate, there was a non-joking possibility that Emmanuel would meet that grim fate. At best, he'd have to close his own firm and work for someone else; at worst, he'd become a debt slave.
Carrying heavy luggage in the cold only for that to happen—no successor would ever be found.
While thinking such things, he arrived at the lord's manor located next to the Main Village.
"It is the Grande Trading Company."
When he gave his greeting, Brian came out from inside.
"Oh, I have been waiting for you. There is something I definitely want you to see."
Brian pulled Emmanuel toward the barn before they could even finish their greetings.
Emmanuel wondered what was going on.
"Look at this."
When Brian told him that and he turned his gaze toward the back of the barn, there sat a mass of iron. And high-quality iron at that. Since Emmanuel was a professional merchant, he could tell the quality of iron.
"Your Lordship, this is..."
Emmanuel turned his gaze toward Brian.
Brian answered the unasked question.
"It was granted to us for use in emergencies, but the end justifies the means. We can simply buy it back once the management of the territory is on track. In any case, there have been no major wars in the west lately, so using it as capital for management is an effective use of resources."
It was a complete facade. This was the result of a broad interpretation of the discovery of the 'urban mine' known as Steve. And there, a part of his true feelings also appeared.
"If possible, I would like you not to sell it in the west, but further away. For example, in the Royal Capital."
"Why is that?"
"It would be awkward to put something entrusted to us by His Excellency Sowell up for sale locally. Come now, I will set the selling price low to account for the transport costs."
Hearing that, Emmanuel was convinced. In that case, he looked for an advantage.
"Then, I shall purchase this iron for one gold coin."
"It is cheaper than I anticipated, but I suppose that is natural considering the transport costs to the Royal Capital."
Brian accepted the amount Emmanuel proposed. Considering the market rate, the selling price in the Royal Capital would likely be around three gold coins. The cost of living in Cascade Kingdom was about one silver coin per month for life in a large city, and about 30 copper coins in the countryside.
Note that the formal name for the gold coin was the Cascade Gold Coin, and it circulated only within the Kingdom of Cascade. Since the gold content differed from other countries, one would have to exchange it when using it abroad.
The exchange ratio between gold and silver coins was approximately 1:20, and between silver and copper coins, it was 1:50. Even if one transported it from the remote Archibalt house to the Royal Capital, the expenses wouldn't be as much as one gold coin. Furthermore, there were several large cities between the west and the Royal Capital, and if he could sell it there, Emmanuel's expenses would be even lower.
Furthermore,
"Your Lordship, from this purchase price of one gold coin, I shall deduct the repayment for Your Lordship's debt."
"Umu, that was my intention as well."
Due to the debt repayment and the purchase of daily necessities, they were unable to receive any actual cash from Emmanuel. However, the debt had decreased, so it was fine. Note that the villagers basically never left the territory; daily necessities like salt were distributed by the lord, and as for food, they were self-sufficient, so there was no such thing as a monetary economy.
Once the transaction was finished, as Emmanuel was about to leave, Brian spoke to him.
"I wish to sell iron during the next transaction as well. And in a larger quantity. Would it be possible to increase the number of wagons?"
Emmanuel inwardly smirked, thinking there was another lucrative deal coming.
"Understood. Since it is a request from none other than Your Lordship, I shall hire people and come pay you a visit."
Once Emmanuel had left the manor, Steve came to Brian's side.
"It went well, Father."
"Indeed. Something that cost nothing for the raw materials has turned into a gold coin. And next time, we can sell an even larger amount."
In contrast to the smiling Brian, Steve's expression was dark. Brian noticed this.
"What is wrong? Do you have some concern?"
"Yes. If we keep selling steel indefinitely, Emmanuel will surely realize something is strange. Furthermore, if too much steel enters the market, won't the buyers try to verify its source?"
Publicly, Steve's magic was only Measurement. If it became known that it could serve as a substitute for a blast furnace that required no iron ore or firewood, he didn't know what kind of impact that would have. That was what he was worried about.
To Steve, his father Brian said,
"Well, even so, first comes our immediate livelihood. I want to improve the tools in the territory as well, not just sell steel."
"You're right."
Steve nodded at that opinion.
Not just in the Archibalt territory, but within the Kingdom of Cascade—no, across the entire continent—iron was in short supply. Since iron was prioritized for military weapons and armor, farming tools in many places were made of wood. Pots and such were often earthenware like Haji or Sue pottery due to immature processing technology.
Pots aside, with a shortage of axes and sickles, and with wooden hoes, work efficiency was poor. To solve this, they intended to create iron tools.
In the Archibalt territory, there was a blacksmith named Nick. Steve intended to go to his place, create steel on the spot, and have him do the blacksmithing work.
After all, that way there was no need to transport materials.
And so, father and son headed together to Nick's workshop.
"Welcome, Your Lordship, and Wakasama."
Nick greeted the two of them. He was only in his 30s, but because of his cleanly balded head, he looked over 40. However, he had a sturdy build from swinging a hammer, and if one looked closely, they could tell he was indeed in his 30s.
Partly due to the iron shortage, Nick basically had too much time on his hands every day. During that free time, he did farm work or mountain work.
"Nick, actually, a large amount of iron has come into our hands. I want you to make tools to distribute to the villagers."
Brian announced. Nick's eyes widened.
"Your Lordship, don't go joking with me. Even I know the territory's plight. There shouldn't be any money to acquire iron."
Brian grimaced for a moment at the blunt words, but immediately feigned composure.
"I'd like you to keep this quiet, but it turns out Steve has a talent for magic. That magic is something that brings forth steel."
"Brings forth steel!!"
Nick was so surprised he couldn't say anything more.
"It would be faster to just show you. Steve, show Nick."
"Yes."
Steve immediately created a mass of steel weighing about 10 kilograms.
The steel sprouted from the floor like a bamboo shoot.
"I-It really is steel. And it looks to be of quite high quality."
Nick picked up the sprouted steel. It had a heavy texture and the luster was uniform, setting it apart from things like low-quality ingots.
"I want to use this to make things to distribute to every household."
"Well, I'll do it, but it's gonna take a hell of a lot of time."
"I think the process of removing impurities can be skipped, though."
When Brian said that, Nick shook his head vigorously.
"Well, I suppose so, but that's not all there is to it."
There, Steve made a request to Nick.
"Nick, could you let me watch the production process from start to finish? I might be able to help."
At those words, Nick took offense. Did this child in front of him think blacksmithing was easy? If so, that was a huge misunderstanding, and he felt like his skills were being looked down upon.
"I don't mind showing you, but it ain't so easy that you can do the same just by watching."
"I know. But two people are better than one, aren't they?"
"If there's someone who can't do it, it just makes things even slower."
Steve could understand the indignant Nick's feelings. In his previous life, Steve had also been in the category of metalworking craftsmen, and if a novice had said such a thing to him, he would have been just as angry.
Besides, in his previous life, he had no experience making blades himself. However, Steve had a certain plan.
It was the SOP Magic that was in his magic list. If he could observe Nick's work and create an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure), Steve should become able to do the same thing.
An SOP was something that, if followed, would allow even a beginner to perform the same work as a veteran. If magic could exert that same effect, he would be able to do the same work as Nick immediately.
"Nick, I'm sorry, but please indulge Steve's selfishness just this once."
"If Your Lordship says so, I guess I got no choice. Just this once, mind you."
And so, Nick showed Steve his work in making a sickle. While watching that work, Steve used the SOP Magic to record the flow of the work and the key points.
And thus, the Blacksmithing SOP was completed.
"I'd like to try the work I just saw. And then, I want you to evaluate the result."
"I don't mind that, but I won't be holding back."
"Of course. It would be more embarrassing later on to be praised for poor work and get the wrong idea."
When Steve received the tools from Nick, he appeared to begin imitating the work he had just seen. In reality, the SOP Magic was active, and he was performing the work exactly as per the SOP, but to the eyes of Nick and Brian, it only looked like he was imitating.
Nick was astonished by the sheer level of reproduction.
"Wakasama's work is perfect, ain't it? Am I dreaming? If this is reality, then I'm gonna start feeling miserable about what all my training was for."
Nick looked at Brian with slumped shoulders and a face that looked ready to cry.
Brian comforted Nick.
"No, no, Nick. This is my son's magic. How many people in the world do you think can do the same work just by seeing it? If this is magic, then the foundation for it was your technique, Nick. So instead of being disappointed, you should hold your head high."
"Now that you put it that way, I guess you're right."
Nick's mood instantly improved at Brian's words. There, Steve's work finished.
"How is it?"
Looking at the finished sickle, Nick naturally gave it a perfect score.
"I got no complaints. If I criticized this, I'd be criticizing my own technique."
"I'm glad."
Steve said, but in truth, he had secretly used Measurement magic to compare the finish. Thus, he had known from the start that it was not one bit different from the sickle Nick had made.
(With this SOP Magic, couldn't I absorb all of other people's skills?)
Steve thought.
However, before verifying that, he set to work with Nick on producing tools to be distributed to each household in the territory. Of course, Brian also helped with simple tasks like carrying the finished products.
On the way back from Nick's workshop, Brian asked Steve.
"If it's sickles or hoes, wouldn't it be faster to just make them with your magic? Why did you go out of your way to give the work to Nick?"
Steve answered that question.
"I can do that too, but there's no need to take away the work of our territory's blacksmith. If by some chance Nick were to leave this territory because he had no work, we have no other prospects for finding another blacksmith."
From his experience as a manager in his previous life, Steve thought it was not good to take away Nick's work. If Nick were to leave the territory, Steve would have to do the blacksmithing work in his place forever. If that happened, it would interfere with his work as the next lord.
It would be like a president not doing presidential duties and instead continuing to make products using machine tools on the factory floor.
If he did that, he wouldn't be able to go out on sales calls, nor could he collect accounts receivable. Also, he probably wouldn't be able to write the documents to be submitted to government offices.
If it were a large organization, there would be personnel to do such jobs, but that wasn't the case in a micro-enterprise.
That was exactly why he had given the order to Nick.